Curse Of The Night
by LittoGrrlStephie
Summary: Destruction, Darkness, and Death are left in his wake, for he is Battousai, the Prince of the Night, known for his cruelty, power, and immortality. What happens when possessiveness, protectiveness, lust, and love comes into the scene?
1. The Prince of the Night

**Curse of the Night**

**_By LittoGrrlStephie_**

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**Disclaimer: **This is the first and last time I shall say this for this fic, I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, however, the plot is all mine.

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Chapter ONE: **_The Prince of the Night_**

The azure sky gave way to the fire burning light as the sun vanished for the moon and night to rise and take its course above the dying earth. Another day had come and gone, completing yet another one of the never-ending circles of Life. But with Life, comes Death, keeping the quote "Life exists to die, yet is afraid of death" alive.

From the billions of creatures on the Earth, only one being has been able to defy these laws, for he is not afraid of death–he is immortal. He's the child of the shadows; the Prince of the Night. This creature is what some would call the spawn of the Devil himself.

The demon's eyes are as golden as the sun, seemingly sucking the very light of the sun within the twin orbs. His red mane resembles the color of blood, matching perfectly with the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, which reveals to all whom dare to look his skill in battle.

The name of the creature–the very name that has been known to send fear into the hearts of even the strongest of warriors--is Battousai. His name has stopped demons in their tracks, lycans scurrying back to their dens, and other vampires back into the shadows, out of his way.

On this particular night, the hated being walked alone, unfazed as a slight breeze tried to tousle his fire-like hair out of its ponytail. It seemed as if every part of his small frame had unbelievable power.

The wind blew furiously as if to challenge him, but only managed to lift his black cape from around his form. As if admitting defeat, the wind stopped and allowed his cape to drop around his form and the swords at his side: a katana and wakizashi.

The Dark Prince attire was completely black, his leather boots echoing on the vacant road made of concrete.

On this autumn night, only the night sky greeted him, not even the shadows themselves dared to cross his path.

He walked on in silence, his face emotionless as he continued his journey to his Black Castle, back to his Realm of Darkness that was filled with his own kindred; vampires.

The immortal didn't care if he was seen or heard, everyone and everything knew better than to cross the Lord of the Night.

Battousai walked into the public park; the street lamps blowing themselves out to allow him to remain engulfed by the darkness. It seemed as if the world itself was trying to avoid his dark being.

The park contained only one set of vacant swings and a long dark dirt road that led through the shadowed woods, a road that called out for visitors.

Answering the unheard call with his own blackened aura, Battousai the immortal vampire, walked into the darkness willingly. Even without the moon and stars to guide him, he saw everything as clear as day through his amber gaze that acted like his very own nightlight.

Spreading his ki to keep unwanted company away, the Prince of the Night moved onward through the path of the shadows. His very steps seemed to hold great power in themselves, each one precise, confident, and controlled.

The trees led him toward the center of the woods, toward the very soul of the darkness that was calling out to him.

Not a single sound was heard as the vampire walked on. The night was silent, as if too afraid to speak in his presence. Even the wind seemed to have stopped chattering so that he may cross the woods in his own dark peace.

The Dark Lord followed the path that would lead him home, the path that would bring him back to Kyoto, back to his Black Castle.

Suddenly the Dark Prince froze. Time itself seemed to stop for him as it waited for the 1000-year-old vampire to resume his trek home.

Narrowing his amber eyes into golden slits, he allowed his ki to roam the whole forest for the sign of the other ki that lingered there.

Turning to his left, he felt his ki clash into another creature's barrier. Just by feeling it, he knew that the creature was in a weak condition. His senses flared when his nose picked up the scent of newly drawn blood, the smell causing his throat to become dry.

Grinning, his white fangs glistened in the dark as he raced toward the blood that he knew lay within the forest. He needed to taste the blood, to feel the burning liquid slide down his throat and refresh him.

Slowly coming to a stop, he strained his ears and smirked at the sound of dripping of water, the noise echoing in his ears as he looked around for the wounded creature.

Looking down on the dewed grass that was showered earlier today, he grinned when he saw the trinkets of blood on the ground. However, his triumph dispersed at the feel of steel on his neck.

Amber slits traveled up the thin metal toward the bleeding arm that wielded the weapon. They sparkled at the sight of a 17-year-old girl gripping her right arm to stop the bleeding, her breaths coming in rigid gasps.

She was dressed in a sorcerer's black robes; the purple linings laced from her shoulders around her collar as the rest fell to the floor in a curtain of black ink. Her jet-black locks were let down to her waist as the wind picked up and danced with her midnight colored hair.

Battousai met her icy sapphire orbs with his burning golden ones. He narrowed his eyes further as he felt her ki, it wasn't as weak as he first thought it was. Her ki was flaring and held something that others before her didn't have. It held something that even he himself was unsure of, and he didn't like to be kept guessing.

"What do you want? What are you doing in the Forbidden Woods?" demanded the girl, her voice echoing through the quiet lands, chiming like a musical glass harp.

"These trees called me here," said Battousai calmly despite the position he was in.

"I can kill you now vampire," hissed the sorceress angrily.

The Dark Lord raised a delicate eyebrow, he hadn't expected her to know his background.

"Get on your knees," ordered the girl.

Battousai's eyes flared at her and was about to relinquish his true power when his captor began to sway from the lack of blood. The sword slipped to the ground as the teenager's body went limp and fell forward as the last of her energy left her.

On reflex, Battousai easily caught her in his arms. It was amazing how well her thin form fit right into his masculine one.

Quickly ignoring his last though, the Prince of the Night held her head with his right hand as he rolled up her right sleeve that was injured.

Placing his lips on her wounded area, he began to unhurriedly lick her wound.

Battousai's mind seemed to shut down as he tasted her blood. Her liquid of life flowed down his throat like fine wine, her jasmine and nature combined scent filled his senses, threatening to drive him mad.

He quickly got his mind straight and jumped back, leaving the girl's body to fall on the cold ground with a thud.

Looking at her wound, he noticed that it had vanished from his saliva. He subconsciously licked his lips and knew that because he had tasted a sample of her delicious blood, he would have to taste it again and again. His instincts told him to keep her for his own and allow no one else to take possession of the red liquid that flowed through her veins.

Swiftly, he walked back over to her and picked her up bridal-style.

Before he left, a star came out from the gray clouds and reflected upon a small dagger that was to the left of where the maiden had collapsed. He looked at the star design on it before kicking it up with one foot and catching it with his left hand.

Pocketing the small weapon, Battousai held the woman close to him as he calmly strolled deeper into the forest, the stars once again becoming concealed by the darkening sky.


	2. Sorcerers and Sorceresses

Chapter TWO: **_Sorcerers and Sorceresses_**

The sun's rays pierced through the thick canopy over head to gleam on the shimmering pool of crystal-clear water in the center of the woods. Older leaves of silver-blue and green floated on the surface of the pure liquid like the blades of spears.

The glorious light reflected from the pool mirrored on the young sorceress's eyelids.

Flinching from the bright light, the young maiden cracked open an eye. She quickly closed it and covered her face with her left hand when the beams hit her unprotected eyes.

Slowly getting on her elbows, she helped herself up.

Her azure eyes stared at the scenery around her when only the noise of the wind greeted her, a smiling gracing her lips as the cool breeze enveloped her face and cooled her body down.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, last night's events came back to her in a whirlwind of color. Her left hand immediately went to her right shoulder's wound. She cocked an eyebrow of confusion when she noticed that her arm was completely healed.

'_What happened?' _Questioned the teenager.

A snort came from the shadows at her thought. Immediately, her head snapped up to look around for the source of the noise.

"Who are you? Reveal yourself," demanded the young sorceress as her blue orbs searched the trees and shadows.

A menacing laugh was heard, echoing through the clear area that she laid in.

Getting to her feet, she looked around for someone, anyone, but found that there was no one else in sight.

"Why are you so afraid, sorceress? Can't you find me? You seemed so confident last night when you wanted to kill me," said a mocking voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Realization hit her like cold water as she remembered her little meeting with a vampire of great ki. She had used one of the hunter's abandoned swords as a threat to get the vampire to leave her alone.

"Tell me why you were injured, sorceress. Why you didn't heal yourself with your magic?" asked the dark voice.

The maiden took a step back as she moved a hand to her chest area, her eyes frantically looking around again.

"Answer me when I ask you a question," ordered Battousai as he suddenly appeared before her and held her chin to his face, his amber ones boring into her sapphire ones.

Instinctively, the girl tried to take a step back, but Battousai firm hold didn't allow her to, instead he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Answer me," demanded Battousai, his voice dark and dangerous.

"I-I..." stuttered the sorceress.

"Tell me your name," commanded the Dark Lord.

"K-Kaoru Kamiya," answered the maiden in a whisper filled with fear.

Battousai grinned as he felt her innocent, fearful ki.

"Why so afraid now, when you were so bold last night?"

"I wasn't going to k-kill you. My family is against it, or was," said Kaoru as she looked away from him, her hands moving toward his chest so that they wouldn't be as close together body wise.

Battousai raised a perfect brow at the strange maiden.

"They were killed last night, by a diamond reverse-blade sword," whispered the sorceress.

The vampire nodded in understanding before letting her go and turning his back to her.

Kaoru looked at the ground as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She fell to her knees and moved her hands to her face as the salt spheres fell to the lush grass on the ground.

"So, you're the last of your kind, am I right? Yet here you are crying. You shame your kindred," said Battousai in disgust.

Kaoru snapped her tear stained face up at him confused.

"I know of your kind," stated Battousai. He kept her in the corner of his eyes so he could capture her reaction. "The Kamiyas were the last sorcerers and sorceresses standing on this planet. It's a pity that all that is left of the once powerful Kamiyas is a weak girl that is not even two decades old yet."

"H-How do you know that I'm the last one?" demanded Kaoru, trying her best to sound commanding, but her voice cracked as her memories of last night plagued her.

"The blood of your parents is on you. I can still smell it freshly in the air where they were killed," said Battousai, not a hint of emotion or sympathy laid in his masculine voice.

Kaoru bit her lower lip as she wiped her tears away. She knew then that she couldn't cry in front of this being.

"Why didn't you kill me?" asked Kaoru, her voice just as icy as his own.

Gathering the last of her courage, she stared into the vampire's eyes for an answer.

Battousai faced her and kneeled down on one knee, moving her chin so that they were eye level.

"Why didn't I?" asked Battousai instead with a grin.

He expected her to cower in fear, but when she stared back into his gaze with anger and defiance, he narrowed his eyes into slits.

The Prince of the Night stood up and turned away from her, allowing his cape to move and reveal his two weapons.

"There are seven weapons total that are made of dark diamonds," said Battousai suddenly.

Kaoru looked at him quizzically before slowly standing as well.

"A kunai, a katana, a wakizashi, twin kodachi, a dagger, and a reverse-blade, all of which were created by the great vampire Akuma. These seven items are the only weapons that can kill a sorcerer or sorceress and injure them so that they can't use their magic to heal themselves. I possess two of them, and you at one point had possessed two as well," said Battousai as he faced her.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him. He knew exactly what he was talking about.

"If you knew that, then why did you ask me those questions?" asked Kaoru bitterly.

Battousai only chuckled.

"You see, little one, I collect those weapons. They are strong enough to win any battle with and I want them," proclaimed Battousai. He took a step toward her and demanded, "You had carried the dagger with you when you came to me, so where is the reverse-blade that your family was killed with?"

Kaoru took a step back before asking him, "How do you know that the bounty hunters didn't take the reverse-blade with them?"

"You hid it. The smell of dark diamond is still fresh on you and the dagger wasn't unsheathed last night. Your kind can't hold anything that is made of Dark Diamond, as in the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell, but you can hold the sheath of the weapons, so where did you hide the reverse-blade sword?" repeated Battousai.

The sorceress shook her head and took another step back.

Suddenly a gleaming blade came to her neck, stopping merely a hair's breath away from being able to draw blood.

"My wakizashi is one of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons," stated Battousai with a grin as he brought the weapon closer to her neck. "I can kill you right now if I wished to."

Kaoru forced herself to look into his eyes.

With his left hand, Battousai showed her the dagger.

The sorceress gasped as she looked down at his waist and saw that his katana also had a star on its hilt, signifying that it was one of the seven weapons from Hell.

"Tell me where," commanded Battousai's deep, dark, rich voice, which rang loudly in her ears.

"In an old Sakura tree down by the Silver River," replied Kaoru in a whisper.

"You will show me where," ordered Battousai as he sheathed his sword.

"I won't allow you to have it. I refuse," said Kaoru defiantly as she moved her head up high, ignoring the blood that slid down her throat from her actions. He had unsheathed his sword and had it near her neck before she could even blink.

Battousai slowly pulled back his wakizashi, replacing it with a clawed hand instead. He moved his head forward to her neck flicked out his tongue and licked the blood away, causing the wound to vanish from his ministrations.

Kaoru gasped as she felt his tongue leave a hot trail in its wake, her eyes widening as he whispered in her ear hotly, "You will do as I say sorceress, for you now belong to me, Battousai."

Grinning at her reaction, Battousai turned and walked toward the Silver River, leaving the shocked maiden to drop to her knees in disbelief.

Kaoru knew that she couldn't get away from him now, he would simply track her down. He was going to use her to find the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell, she knew it. She also knew that there was nothing she could do about it either.

She pulled her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around herself in comfort.

Rocking herself back and forth, she allowed the sun to warm her body as she tried to think of happier thoughts.

Suddenly her left arm was roughly pulled upright. The force caused her arm to numb in pain as she looked at the hand that pulled her up.

She looked up and finally noticed that her captor had deep crimson locks and cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. His eyes had already been inscribed in her mind; they were eyes that one could never forget. Looking into his eyes as the same as looking straight into the eyes of Death itself. The thought sent another unwelcome shiver down her spine.

"You're coming whether you like it or not," hissed Battousai as he shoved her before him.

Nearly falling straight onto her face, she quickly controlled her balance before she could humiliate herself. She turned around and glared at him as she suppressed the urge to last out at him, deciding instead to walk on instead.

"Change your robes," said Battousai suddenly from behind her after they had taken a few steps.

Kaoru turned around cocked an elegant eyebrow at him.

"Do as I say. You reek with the scent of blood. Unless you want me to suck all the blood out of you from temptation, then I advise you do so," snapped Battousai darkly.

Kaoru glared at him before stopping in her tracks to do as she was instructed. She did feel awfully dirty in the bloodied robes.

She closed her eyes and moved her hands together as if in prayer. The sun flamed overhead as it covered her lithe form.

Rolling his eyes, Battousai walked ahead as a violet gleam enveloped the sorceress. Just as quickly as the light had come, it had vanished and replaced her old robes with a new one.

By the time Kaoru finished, she realized that the vampire was at least 50 meters ahead.

'_Now's my chance to run for it.'_ Thought Kaoru as she looked for a route that would lead her out of the woods.

"If you run, I will catch you, if you hide, I will find you, my sorceress," said Battousai calmly as he heard her thoughts of escape.

Muttering curses under her breath, the teenager raced hurriedly to the front to catch up with her captor.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru fiddled with her hands as they walked on the dirt road. She looked around and felt odd that there hadn't been a single sound today. Usually the woods were filled with life and animals laughing and chatting, but today it seemed like the woods had been completely abandoned for quite some time.

She sighed as she looked ahead, hoping to see the Silver River and get this whole thing over with.

"Will you let me go once you have the reverse-blade sword?" asked Kaoru as they walked on for another hour.

Battousai only chuckled.

"What's so funny?" demanded Kaoru. What was so funny about her freedom?

"If I were to let you go, where would you go?" asked Battousai as he watched her blink a few times in realization from the corner of his eye.

Kaoru was about to answer, but kept quiet. There really was no place to go. Her home was burnt down by the bounty hunters, her family was gone, and she didn't know anyone else.

She looked up at him with the deepest loathing, for him capturing her, for him saving her, and for him being right. She hated it.

'_I will get my freedom, this I vow to you, Amaterasu.' _Said Kaoru in her heart as she looked up at the sky and towards the burning sun that seemed to twinkle even brighter.

**xXoXx**

**Names:**

Akuma- Japanese name for devil.

Amaterasu- Goddess of the Sun


	3. Powers

Chapter THREE: **_Powers_**

The sound of rushing water reached the vampire's ears as he walked out of the darkening forest. The moon was out and full with the stars to accompany it in its course in the black sky. It seemed like someone had turned on a flashlight and was guiding him and his prey to the Silver River.

Kaoru stopped when they reached the grass plains that extended out of the dark forest.

Turning around she looked one last time at her old home. It seemed like only yesterday that she had entered the thriving forest with her loving family. She knew that she had to move on, but it was hard having to leave the one place she had stayed in her whole life. What made it harder was knowing that inside laid the bodies of her parents.

Burning tears threatened to fall, but she forced them back in. She was not going to cry in front of a vampire, especially not in front of the strongest of them all.

Reminding herself that moving on was for the best, and that looking back only brought back sad memories, Kaoru took one last look at the woods before rushing out to catch up with her captor.

They walked in silence until they reached their destination.

"Which tree is it?"demanded Battousai, his cold voice making Kaoru jump.

Kaoru looked up from her hands and smiled as she saw the familiar river.

The Silver River sparkled in the moon's gleam, its water being the purest in all of Tokyo. Its contents seemed too flawless to touch, and not a single spec of dirt touched the crystal-clear liquid. The Silver River was indeed a sight to behold, its water flowing for a mile west and east, purifying the rocks that lay beneath it.

On each side of the river were rows upon rows of Sakura trees. Their leaves and flowers swirled down into the water like small tornadoes, making the body of water look even more enchanting and beautiful than ever. It was beautiful, breathtaking sigh, and the moon light reflecting upon it made it look like a perfect picture.

"Go get it," ordered Battousai, the darkness in his tone clashing with the scenery; it was as if the sight didn't even faze him. Kaoru began to wonder if the man really didn't have any feelings left in him like all of the tales that came with his cursed name.

Looking up at him, she studied his amber eyes in hopes of finding some clue that he was actually some part descent and not as cruel and evil as others said, but to no avail. She found not a single flaw in his gaze; he was like a rock.

"You know where it is and I know that you can hold the sword's sheath," snapped Battousai when she didn't move.

Kaoru bit her lower lip before doing what she was instructed to do. Being a sorceress, she wasn't able to touch anything that had to do with the Dark Diamonds of Hell, but the sheaths themselves were not made of the diamond, therefore she was able to touch it.

Reaching the center of the river where the water met the borders of west and east, Kaoru closed her eyes and moved her palms flat up against each other as she shut her eyes together as if in prayer. Slowly and hypnotically, she began to chant in a tongue that not even Battousai had ever before heard.

Suddenly a black aura enveloped her lithe form and it seemed as if the darkness around her began to pulse as it blended in with the night and seemed to swallow her whole.

A Sakura tree about 50 yards to the east began to glow with the same deadly aura that was around Kaoru; it seemed like whatever was inside the tree was awakening, slowly causing the tree to perish from existence.

Battousai grinned as he used his god-like speed to race toward the tree.

Unsheathing his katana, he was about to strike the tree down when Kaoru's voice drifted into his mind saying, _Stop! You mustn't attack the tree. Wait for the reverse-blade to reveal itself from the tree. Dark Diamond-made weapons can destroy each other. If you attack the tree and hit the sword you'll lose the sakabatou forever._

Stopping in mid-attack, Battousai turned back around to her. His eyes narrowed into golden slits when he noticed that Kaoru still had her eyes closed and was still chanting. He growled and sheathed his katana as he waited.

Soon the tree fell into ashes before the wind picked it up and washed it away into the Silver River, which quickly replenished its darkness and turned it back into a single pink flower. The river happily escorted the remains down stream.

Battousai's eyes seemed to grin themselves when they saw the sakabatou pulsing with a black glow, the star embedded into its hilt like the other seven, was permanently black. He calmly glided over toward the darkening weapon. Once his hand wrapped itself around the sword's hilt, the glowing stopped and the aura dropped as if accepting him as its new master.

Kaoru dropped to the ground, the grass cushioning her fall. Her body seemed like a doll as she began to breathe in rigid breaths as her eyes fell vacant, leaving her sapphire orbs looking lifeless.

Growling about weak sorceresses, Battousai walked over to her form as he calmly placed his new sword by his katana.

"Get up wench!" hissed Battousai angrily.

Kaoru didn't move; the spell had taken too much of her energy and the magic within her was having a hard time simply helping her breathe, let alone reviving her strength.

Sighing in exasperation, Battousai knelt down beside her.

Holding her chin with one hand, he slowly lifted her face up from the ground. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the blank glaze in her sapphire orbs that had turned into a dark hue of purple.

The vampire stood up and snapped the fingers of his right hand. In a few split seconds, diamond-carved chains were placed around Kaoru's wrists, allowing her to move her hands only two feet away from each other. The diamonds were clear as ice and smooth enough to sleep on. Though despite its beauty, the diamond cuffs were too powerful to be able to be broken unless under immense heat or by another diamond object.

Snapping his fingers again, the chains turned red and pulled the sorceress up by the wrists. He grinned when he noticed the girl waking up from the sudden strain on her body.

She wobbly got to her feet and would have swayed had the cuffs not kept her hands in the same position before her. Her eyes widened in horror as she finally registered the diamond chains that were now on her wrists. Kaoru scowled as she looked at Battousai with the deepest loathing, causing the vampire to merely smirk.

"Now you won't be able to use your magic. I've known your kind for a while, and I know that even if regular diamonds can't harm you, they can still cause you to lose the ability to summon your powers. You might as well get use to it, for unless you're calling for another dark diamond weapon, you're not going to use your magic," said Battousai triumphantly as he turned his back to her.

Kaoru's indigo eyes flared with anger, how she hated the creature before her and his knowledge of her kind.

"I advise you try and keep your thoughts hidden," said Battousai smugly, gaining another hated glare.

Battousai walked on calmly as Kaoru stayed right where she was and fumed. The 1000-year-old creature merely shook his head at her disobedience before snapping his fingers again.

Kaoru's eyes went wide as she suddenly felt the air in her lungs leave her. She felt herself jerk forward as if she was being pulled straight into a wall, but the pain that she thought would come never did.

Opening her eyes she saw that she was right in front of Battousai, and she seemed to be gripping onto his shirt underneath his cape.

Flushing crimson, Kaoru quickly let go and took a step back when she noticed his furrowed brows and glare for her to let go.

"W-what happened?" questioned Kaoru.

"Impudent creature," snapped Battousai before he walked past her and added calmly, "I summoned you."

"What do you mean you 'summoned me'?" asked Kaoru as she turned around and raced after him.

"It means, sorceress, that as long as you have those chains on you, I can summon you whenever I wish to. However, the chains will automatically bring you to me if we are a mile apart," said Battousai with a grin on his usually calm features.

Kaoru froze solidly to her spot in shock, her eyes as wide as saucers after taking in the information. There was no way she could get away now. She was going to be forced to work for the most evil person in all of Japan--she was going to Make him stronger.

Burning tears threatened to fall, but she forced herself not to, she wouldn't cry before him and she was going to beat him, some way, some how she would get free.

**xXoXx**

The sun bathed over the chimneys of the wood-made homes in the busier part of Tokyo. Each street had houses large enough for five people, the doors were made of rice paper, the floors made of polished wood, the ceiling covered by tiles, and the family names were painted on a piece of wood outside of each home. Though despite the beauty of the houses, some still lived on the streets, begging the stalls that were placed in the marketplace, which was located in the center of the large village, for money and scraps of food.

Though near the edge of the village was a restaurant. Its walls were decorated with the designs of flowers and beautifully painted pictures, the ceilings were made of fine solid tiles, the chimney made of bricks, its doors made of thin and finely decorated rice paper, and the tables were all lined up in rows so that people could eat in their own private rooms. There were a few meters between the rooms, so that the waiters and waitresses could walk down the aisles.

Outside was a walkway that stretched from the village to the restaurant, each side held flowerbeds that were kept healthy and neat. In big black ink in front of the building was a sign that read: **The Akabeko**.

The restaurant was full of all types of beings: vampires, werewolves, humans, demons, and even two shape-shifters, who happen to be the last of their kind; each creature staying with his or her kindred, each in their own private area. The Akabeko was built so that anyone could dine in the place without having to go at each other's throats; the main reason why so many creatures came to the restaurant to eat.

Tae, the owner of the Akabeko and a vampire of 50 years, looked no more than around 16-18 years of age. She had short brown hair that was usually placed into a bun, and wore a yellow kimono with a clean white apron above it. Her eyes were hazel and twinkled in the sun and her smile was one that made most of the male creatures look her way. She was always polite and caring, and always managed to somehow stop the fights that broke out in the restaurant, her charm being her only weapon in dispersing the ruthless fighting.

Her apprentice, Tsubame, whoa vampire as well, shared her same qualities, though she was but 12 and shy. The young girl had light brown hair, sparkling chocolate eyes, and a smile that made most of the village boys blush. Tsubame wore the same outfit as Tae, only smaller and her short hair was left to fall down upon her shoulders like silk. She was one of those girls that was respectful, charming, lovely to speak to, but nonetheless shy, quiet, and kind; one of the girls that didn't disobey.

**xXoXx**

"Tae, where are the umbrellas?" asked Tsubame as she looked out at the gray sky.

The sun was slowly creeping behind the darkening clouds as raindrops began to pour lightly on the gravel.

"They should be in the closet in the back," cried Tae from serving a table of werewolves that had yet to transform, the full moon still a week away.

Tsubame nodded and headed toward the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen where she met the three kind chefs of the restaurant.

Quickly grabbing an umbrella, she walked out toward the front of the restaurant again.

"Where are you going?" asked Tae as she wiped her hands on her apron and walked toward her apprentice.

"We need more tofu," said the vampire as she turned back around to face her mistress.

Tae smiled and nodded as Tsubame opened the umbrella and stepped out of the Akabeko.

The rain fell lightly on the umbrella making little plopping noises as each perfectly shaped sphere hit its target.

As Tsubame walked down the streets, her footsteps were in rhythm to the thunders' ringing and the lightning's mighty clashes. She walked on with a smile on her features as she looked for the stall that usually sold the sought after tofu, but much to her dismay, the shop had already closed from the bad weather.

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed before walking back toward the Akabeko, saddened at the thought of having to tell the chefs that they weren't going to get any tofu today.

Suddenly, Tsubame stood up straight as a cold, dark feeling swept through her. She looked around for the source of the power, but merely shrugged it off when she didn't find anything unusual.

Walking back to the Akabeko, she felt the strange dark vibe again. This time she kept her senses alert as she walked onward. There was something going on here that wasn't right.

Her steps quickened as she rushed to the restaurant, but made sure to slow down so no one would suspect, for if they saw her running they would surely go after her. So forcing herself to slow down, she calmly walked back toward the Akabeko. But before she walked inside, she saw something glowing on the dirt road that led from the Forbidden Forest to the village.

Squinting her eyes, she could make out the outline of two figures clothed in black clothing. They didn't possess umbrellas, yet it seemed that the pouring rain wasn't touching them at all.

Looking harder, her eyes grew wide when she saw that there was a huge black barrier around them that acted like a shield, which resembled a bubble, for you could easily see the two occupants in the enlarged circle.

She quickly raced into the Akabeko and found Tae waiting on an older human.

Dropping the umbrella by the wall, she ran over to Tae.

"Tae!" yelled Tsubame.

"What is it, and where's the tofu?" questioned her boss worriedly.

"Someone's coming here," said the younger vampire.

"Oh, that's good," said Tae with a smile after nodding to the old man and finishing writing down his order on a notepad.

"You don't understand. These two people know magic," said Tsubame seriously.

The whole restaurant fell silent and looked at her oddly before looking back at each other.

"Don't be silly Tsubame. You must have been seeing things. The only two magic dwellers here are Misao and Megumi and they're shape-shifter, and they don't know any magic besides the ones used to transform themselves," said a skinny werewolf.

"I'm telling the truth! They were using magic to shield themselves from the rain," protested Tsubame.

"There are only a few people who know how to use magic and that's the Kamiya family and the Prince of the Night," stated Tae. She had hesitated and shivered after she said the title of the Dark Lord. The very mentioning of his presence had caused other customers to shiver as well.

"Why would they come here for?" asked a girl with a high chirpy voice. She was in a green cloak and had a pair of dazzling emerald orbs to match, her ebony hair placed into a long braid that fell to her waist. Her cloak covered her whole body, including her arms and legs, but her green boots showed clearly below her outfit. She looked no more than 16.

"Misao," said the young vampire with a smile and bow to her.

"Hey, Megumi, come here," said the shape-shifter Misao.

"Yes?" asked a woman that seemed to represent a fox, her midnight terraces falling down to her waist like silk. She too wore the same attire as the other shape-shifter, her purple cloak falling just before her violet boots as well. Her charcoal eyes twinkled as she walked over to her sister. She seemed to be barely 20.

"Do you think that those two will come here?" asked Misao as she smiled at her older sister by four years.

"There is no reason for the Shadow Prince to be here in Tokyo, yet alone this restaurant," said Megumi calmly.

"But I saw them! Who else could make a barrier that doesn't allow the rain to come in?" asked Tsubame.

"It could have been an umbrella. Our eyesight isn't all that well in the rain after all. You could have just been hallucinating things," said Tae as she made Tsubame sit down at a free table to her right and poured her tea.

Tsubame didn't speak back, but she was sure of what she saw.

Out of courtesy, the vampire drank the green tea lovingly, smiling as she felt the hot substance trickle down her throat and warm her body inside out. But just as quickly as the warmness came, it left.

Looking up, she gasped, dropping the tea onto the floor and making everyone look up with wide eyes.

Standing at the doorway were two dark figures. Both were as dry as if they had been in the gleaming sun all day. The female had her hands in her sleeves and her face was imprisoned behind the shadows of her dark hood, while the male's blazing eyes of fire scanned the whole restaurant in less than a second.

The wind picked up from behind them, blowing the vampire's black cape to reveal three swords and taking off the female's hood. Her blue- lavender hair followed the male's cape as the wind danced like a ritual about them.

Every creature was frozen into place as they eyed the two new comers warily. The tension in the room seemed to grow and the whole place felt colder as the shadows seemed to creep in with the new guests.

"Excuse me, but are you here for food?" asked Tae with a gentle smile despite the bad vibes that were emitting from the man before her.

The redhead didn't answer, his eyes merely scanning the restaurant.

"Miss?" asked Tae instead when she realized that the male wasn't going to answer.

The female didn't answer as well, her sapphire orbs seemed to be fixated on the male's as she too looked for an answer.

"Are you a sorceress?" asked Tsubame as she stood, her knees trembling slightly.

The whole restaurant fell silent as they all looked at the girl and the so-called sorceress before them.

Azure depths bore into Tsubame's chocolate ones, causing the young vampire to take a step back instinctively. There was something about her eyes that sent chills down her spine, yet it still held warmth in them. It was like the lady before her had seen too many horrid things, and felt so much pain and sorrow that her eyes seemed to want to drown the people who looked into them, in the mere depths of her orbs.

"Tell me vampire, where is the one called Soujiro Seta?" asked the vampire, his voice was deep, dark, and rich. For his small structure, his presence demanded respect and struck fear in all that opposed him.

Tae looked up at the man in surprise, her eyes widening when she saw his long, sharp fangs when he spoke.

"Sou? You know Sou?" asked Misao, her voice light with amusement and shock as she calmly walked over, but kept her distance from the two.

"Shape-shifters should keep their mouths shut when vampires are speaking," snapped Battousai coldly to the girl.

Misao staggered back. '_How did he know I was a shape-shifter?' _Questioned Misao in shock.

"Idiot, you should learn to keep your thoughts within your head," hissed the man darkly, his voice venomous.

Before Misao could protest, Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. There was something about the man that made them all scared and quiet; he wasn't one to mess with.

"Lord Soujiro is not here today," said Tae with a polite smile.

"What about Shishio Makoto?" demanded Battousai.

"Lord Shishio is not here either; they both seldom come here during bad weather," answered Tae.

Battousai narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me Miss? But are you a Kamiya?" asked Tsubame again as she walked over to the teenager.

All eyes were on Kaoru again. For if she answered yes then that meant she was indeed a sorceress, for the Kamiya family was the last magical family left in all of Japan.

Kaoru smiled sweetly at her, but did not answer the young one for fear of the man beside her. She kept her head up and looking forward as she kept her chained hands inside her sleeves. She was not about to be seen as a slave before others, even though she knew that she was.

"Why do you ask for Lord Soujiro?" asked Tae when Kaoru didn't answer. She didn't want to push the girl, so decided to change the subject. It seemed like she had already gone through enough.

"It's none of your business," snapped Battousai as he turned around to face Kaoru, who looked defiantly into his demonic gaze.

"Won't you at least tell us your names?" asked Megumi.

"My name is Kaoru," said the female with a polite smile after she avoided her new master's gaze.

Most of the men turned their heads to her in awe. Now that they looked at her, she looked more like an angel from the heavens, her musical voice and gracefulness only added to her appearance.

Battousai narrowed his eyes at her as he enveloped her with his ki, reminding her that she was now his. She belonged to him and no one else was allowed to be graced with her being unless he allowed it, not even her voice. He guarded what was his selfishly, and she belonged to him, and only him. No one was going to change that, not even Kaoru herself. The moment he tasted her blood, he knew that forever more she was his, and only his.

"And your name milord?" asked Megumi again.

"My name is one at which you should fear," snarled Battousai, his back to the restaurant as his eyes remained fixated on Kaoru.

"We don't fear a name," said Misao calmly.

"So unless your name happens to be the name of the Prince of the Night, then I don't see why we should fear..." Began Megumi, but stopped when she suddenly realized what she was saying. Fear indeed washed over her as her heart stopped for a moment and she looked up at the vampire in utter shock.

Battousai only smirked as the creatures caught on and gasped.

Here was the legendary manslayer, right in front of them. The vampire that ruled Kyoto, the immortal that has killed more creatures than all the other vampires' victims put together. The very one that was known as the very source of darkness. He was before them, and yet he had not killed them as he was known to do.

"Tell Soujiro and Shishio, if they do come here, that I, Battousai, will pay them a visit before nightfall tomorrow," said the immortal calmly as he walked out of the restaurant, his cape following him as the wind hurled.

Kaoru bowed to the people there before rushing after her captor, the black bubble like barrier covering the two as they walked on.

"I-I told you!" stated Tsubame in a squeaky voice.

"L-Lord B-Battousai is h-here in T-Tokyo," said Tae, quivering in fear.

"I must tell Sou," said Misao as she stood up.

"Yes, we have to warn him that Battousai is here," said Megumi.

"But why?" asked Tsubame curiously.

"He should be in Kyoto," said Misao.

"We can't do anything but obey him. Misao, Tsubame, Megumi, I want you three to go tell Lord Soujiro and Lord Shishio what our Dark Lord has told us to pass on to them," said Tae.

The three nodded before grabbing umbrellas and going out through the back door.

Tae, trembling, looked out into the stormy sky. There was sure to be trouble if Battousai was here. Something was definitely going on. '_I have a bad feeling about this, and I just hope that Lord Soujiro will be all right.' _Thought Tae as she turned around to her customers with a fake smile.

"Please, do continue," said the vampire as if nothing at all had happened.

Slowly, the noise came back to its usual level and all was peaceful, at least for now.


	4. Rainy Days

Chapter FOUR: **_Rainy Days_**

Rain. The water from the heavens, the food of plants, and the one natural weather condition that can wash away anything. It can be playful, yet disastrous. Rain was the one liquid that was unpredictable in its moods, one moment it could be causing mayhem, the next, shallow drizzles.

It was able to wash away memories, blood, hopes, and dreams, yet it could also purify them, bringing them back from the grave. The rain was either a curse or a blessing, depending on the person that the rain greeted on its trips to earth. On one particular trip, the rain met the oddest of couples.

Two figures silently walked upon the cement path near the edge of the forest that led into town, a path that had long since been deserted. It was narrow road, which was slowly deteriorating from all of the cracks caused by the grass growing through the gray floor.

The crumbling pathway was one of the older routes to the back of the city, having been abandoned due to its closeness to the dark looming trees of the forest, which was said to be cursed with bad luck.

The wind howled as the rain poured down relentlessly, but despite the rain's attempt to fall upon its new prey, its liquids wasn't able to even touch their presences. As if enraged that it had missed a target, the rain came down harder.

Not even bashing a lash, the couple continued their journey, knowing full well that they couldn't get wet, no matter how badly the rain wanted them to be.

Crystal-blue eyes watched as the rain poured down around them, staring in awe at the power of the barrier around them. The barrier, however, was only created to keep out the rain, not the chill that accompanied it.

Shivering from the cold, Kaoru moved her diamond chains back into her sleeves as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. As her hands moved to make friction, so did the crystal cuffs, clanging together in rhythm with her movements.

Kaoru looked up and glared at the flaming red-locks that swayed with each step that its master took. If it weren't for him, then she would have been able to stay warm with her powers. Her thoughts of hatred and anger quickly dispersed when she remembered that the vampire could read her mind whenever he chose to. She wasn't going to give him an excuse to punish her.

Looking back up at the twirling liquid above her, she sighed and just stared.

The gray clouds, the darkening sky, and the howling of the wind all matched her inner moods: sadness, loneliness, and rage all piled up on top of each other within her.

Suddenly, burning spheres filled the brim of her eyes and she mentally slapped herself for letting them fall upon her rosy, cold cheeks. She moved a chained hand to wipe the falling salted orbs from her face, but no matter how much she wiped them away, new ones kept coming to further blur her vision. Unable to stop herself, Kaoru continued to cry. Her tears kept flowing as if they too wished to join the rain in mourning.

The Dark Lord paused and growled when he smelt the slight tinge of salt in the air. He hated being weaklings, and only the weak cried over such pathetic things.

He hated the weak. The weak were pathetic, disgusting, and were only useful as servants or slaves–they were a waste of his precious time.

The strong live and the weak die, it was the law of nature, it was his code.

Tired of having that pitiful scent clog his nostrils, he turned to face his prey angrily with burning amber flames. To his astonishment, she turned away from his gaze so that her eyes wouldn't meet his own, so he couldn't see her crying. He nearly chuckled when he realized that she refused to cry before him.

'_At least she has some pride.'_ Thought Battousai with an inward smirk.

"Turn around," snapped Battousai, his voice commanding and dark as usual.

His eyes narrowed into dangerous golden slits when she didn't obey his direct order.

Irritated, the vampire merely snapped his delicately clawed fingers, which were just as sharp as the dark diamond weapons that were on his waist.

Knowing better from the last time he summoned her, Kaoru shut her eyes and remained as still as stone, her body automatically moving toward her captor's.

"Why are you crying, sorceress?" demanded Battousai, his warm breath lightly caressing her cold lips as fire met ice once again.

Kaoru didn't say anything despite the tears welling up in her azure eyes. The translucent liquid only caused her sapphire orbs to dance and shine like the stars as she looked up into Battousai's flaming depths.

Suddenly filled with newfound courage, Kaoru decided that she would stand up to this creature, decided that she would no longer cry before this blood-crazed being before her.

"I advise you to answer me when I ask you a question," growled Battousai threateningly, "or do I have to go through your pathetic brain and get them?" His face was completely expressionless except for the small spark of amusement in his golden gaze.

Kaoru glared up at him with the deepest loathing. Oh, how she hated him for being stronger, for being arrogant, and most of all for being immortal.

The sadness within her quickly changed into utter rage as she saw him smirk down at her in triumph.

Out of pure rage, Kaoru raised her right hand and brought it down hard, but before she made contact with flesh, her right wrist was caught in a death grip by strong, cold hands. She struggled out of his hold, but no avail.

Bringing down her other free hand, she glared into flaring orbs of anger as another steel hand caught her left wrist. Her hands came together to cross each other, the chains ringing like bells as she struggled to get out of the vampire's hold again.

"Stop," ordered Battousai.

Battousai's eyes narrowed dangerously, flaring into a demonic glow of pure anger when Kaoru continued to struggle in his hold.

Suddenly Kaoru froze, her whole body seemed to freeze as his eyes locked onto her own and held her there. It turned her bones into liquid as his glare intensified.

Battousai slowly let her hands fall down to her side, and with a snap of his fingers, the chain grew another foot so that her arms were able to go down to her side without staying in the center. He watched her closely as Kaoru bent her head and took in deep breaths.

He smirked when the only sounds that reached his sensitive ears were the jingle of the chains and the calm breathing of his prey.

The Dark Lord would have flung the disobedient sorceress into the nearest tree earlier if it weren't for the fact that he might lose his only chance in finding the last two items. It didn't help that her jasmine scent was intoxicating his senses and overwhelming his anger and satisfaction. In his daze, he vaguely remembered his fangs growing longer and his thirst for blood growing, and not just for any blood, but the sweet blood of the woman before him.

Kaoru, who wasn't able to sense Battousai's change from her lack of power, took a step back with her head bowed in submission. She quietly wiped away the lone tear that fell from her eyes with the back of her hand so as not to further enrage the vampire.

She would have screamed when she felt herself being pushed against Battousai's body, but all of the air had rushed out of her lungs when he pulled her to him with his powerful arms.

"What are you doing?" squeaked Kaoru.

"Silence," said Battousai in a whisper as one of his hands crawled up her spine, sending shivers down her spine and into the pit of her stomach.

His hand moved to the nape of her neck as he pulled her face closer to his.

Slowly, hypnotically, he began to rub her neck in such a way that she felt herself swaying back and forth from reality and heaven from his ministrations. All of the anger, rage, and hate left her when Battousai moved his mouth to her neck.

Her vision blurred when she felt twin needles pressing into her flesh, her eyes rolling into her head when, instead of pain, pleasure swept through her entire being. The heady sensation followed her all the way into a blissful darkness.


	5. Possessiveness

Chapter FIVE: **_Possessiveness_**

Holding her head in her hands from the twirling of her vision, she slowly sat up from her laying position. Her azure eyes scanned the odd place that she was at. She was confused, she could have sworn that she had been out in the rain with Battousai just a minute ago.

She shivered when she heard the roaring of thunder, sighing with relief when she was finally able to notice her surroundings from a flash of lightning. At least now she could at least guess as to where it was she had been dropped off at.

Kaoru groaned as she moved a hand to her neck, she could feel her heartbeat pulsing erratically to make more blood to replace what she had lost if her headache and lack of strength was any indication. Yet something puzzled her, the sound of musical chimes didn't reach her ears at her movements. She was sure that the chains would clang together if she moved.

Looking down, Kaoru confirmed her suspicions when she noticed that her diamond cuffs were gone. Her wrists were free and she could feel her own magic soar within her lithe form again, healing her body as best as it could, but no amount of magic would be able to mend her heart.

Biting her lower lip as not to cry from past memories, Kaoru looked closely around at her surroundings for the first time since she had awakened.

Looking about her, she noticed that she was lying on a warm blue futon, inside a room with walls made of thin rice paper, which were decorated with paintings of dark gods whom were worshiped by all shadowed creatures.

Bringing her arms around her from the sudden chill that spread throughout her body, she continued her observation of the room.

The ceiling had a large black star that filled most of the wooden planks, and the floor's wood was polished enough so that she could see her own reflection in it.

Her eyes then wandered further into the shadows, where she noticed that the only shoji door in the room was glowing black. She sighed when she realized that she was imprisoned in this room by a powerful barrier that was no doubt created by Battousai. He had most likely taken off her chains because he knew that even with her magic at full strength she couldn't get away from him.

Despite the position she was in, Kaoru couldn't help but wonder where she was. The place had a dark tinge to it, and it wasn't because of Battousai's presence either. In fact, Battousai's barrier seemed comforting, strong, and warm, yet at the same time dark, mysterious, and powerful like Battousai.

Kaoru mentally slapped herself when she realized what she was thinking.

Battousai was a cruel-killing, immortal vampire, and he would never be a source of comfort and warmth to anyone, especially herself. The only reason why she wasn't dead right now was because he needed her to find the last two Dark Diamond Weapons.

Bringing her palms together, she began to rub them together. Soon enough, a blue glow emitted from her hands and enveloped her entire frame. A smile touched her lips as she felt her own magic rejuvenating her body and bringing warmth back into her soul.

She looked back up at the ceiling once the blue light faded away. The black star reminded her of the symbol on the hilt of every weapon of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell.

The thought sent shivers down her spine. She moved her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around herself. Guilt played on her face as she remembered what she done for Battousai.

She had helped him find the reverse-blade sword and had literally brought the dagger to him. By giving him the weapons, she had made him stronger, yet if she hadn't, then he would have killed her. But then again, she would have joined her parents in the after life if he had.

_You must live on my daughter! You must live as the last of our kind so that one day you may destroy the weapons that destroyed us. _Kaoru shut her eyes as the words flooded through her. The visions of last night poured through her like cold water from a mountain waterfall.

Those words were the only reason she remained living, the only reason that she obeyed Battousai. Her heart warmed with revenge when she thought about the fact that by helping Battousai, she would bring all seven weapons together. Then she'd be able to get her revenge and destroy them all at once.

With that comfort in mind, even the dark room seemed to lighten up, and the roaring of thunder and clashing of lightning faded from her world.

Smiling, she crawled back into her warm futon and fell asleep.

Amber eyes glistened over her lithe form as they narrowed dangerously.

A shadow-covered figure silently slid from the shadows and toward the body of the sorceress.

Battousai glared down at his prisoner once he had reached her side. He had heard her thoughts and had felt her hate for the weapons from her aura. It had surprised and amused him, but if she thought to use him, then she was sorely mistaken.

The cloaked figure quietly moved back from the sleeping figure and headed toward the shoji door, easily sliding it open without a sound before walking out.

Closing the door behind him, he made sure that the barrier remained around the room before walking away. He couldn't risk others realizing who she was and using her to gain the weapons. Everyone knew that the Kamiyas had a connection with the dark diamond weapons, and would no doubt use that to their advantage if they captured her.

It also had to do with the fact that this whole place was filled with vampires, and no one was going to shed or take her blood but him. It before never occurred to him that he was so possessive over this magical being until he entered the vampire-filled household.

Walking silently down the hall, his black cape trailed behind him and vaguely fell on his three swords, the dagger being placed within his clothing for safe keeping. He only needed the twin kodachi and the kunai to finish his collection. The twin kodachi's two blades were sure to be separate. This was going to postpone his trip back to his Black Castle.

The halls of the large mansion that Battousai decided to reside in for the time being were narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side at a time. Its walls were decorated with marvelous paintings, each one filled with the color scheme of the house--black and white and sometimes red.

Kaoru's 'prison' was at the end of the hall, the only one in the entire hallway.

Turning, the Dark Lord turned into another narrow hallway, which led to the outside into the pouring rain.

Shielded by the beams above him, Battousai walked along the outside hall and through a large, red-wooden door.

Servants in light pink kimonos bowed to him as he walked by and quickly went back to work, making sure not to make eye contact with the vampire. It was death for those who looked within his eyes, all save for Kaoru. He rather enjoyed seeing her emotions play across her beautiful sapphires.

Walking deeper into the enclosed hallway, the Dark Lord continued his walk into another thin hallway until he reached a pair of cherry oak, twin doors.

Using his ki, he slammed the doors open and came face to face with a vampire that looked more like a mummy than anything else. If not for his ruby-red eyes and fangs, one could mistake him for an Egyptian artifact.

The vampire was robed in purple attire, contrasting against the bright kimono that the vampire on top of him wore.

They immediately sat up from their position and lightly bowed to the immortal before them.

Battousai narrowed his eyes as he took in the room.

The two other vampires were seated on what looked like a bed and chair all in one. Scattered about them were various pillows, a white net falling around the circular seat. It was the only piece of furniture in the room apart from the table placed in the center of the room. On top of black table were fruits and a long sword.

"My Lord Battousai, do you need anything?" asked the female vampire known as Yumi.

"We weren't expecting you to come into our private room so soon," said Shishio calmly, but Battousai knew otherwise. Shishio was clearly unhappy with his sudden interruption.

"Weren't you informed that I would be coming to stay here, Shishio?" asked Battousai amused.

"Yes. Two friends of Soujiro's had informed him, who in turn informed me that you were in Tokyo," said Shishio.

"What are they to Soujiro?" asked Battousai curiously.

"I told you, they are his friends," said Shishio, confused that Battousai should have missed that, the man never missed anything before.

"Not that, I meant, what is a vampire like Soujiro doing with two pathetic shape-shifters?" questioned the Prince of the Night as he calmly strode in and sat on a black tall chair that suddenly appeared behind him as he moved to sit down.

The chair was taller than he was when he sat down. Made from the bones of his victims, the throne was polished and carved so that each bone was perfectly connected while dried blood made up its color.

The Dark Lord merely watched as Shishio remained as calm as ever, contrary to the way his mate fidgeted with her hands as she looked at the floor.

"Milord, I do not know the actions of the Tenken," said Shishio seriously as he watched as the Prince eyed his mate all too calmly. The vampire had to suppress the instinctive urge to protect woman from Battousai's gaze. He knew that if it came down to it, he would surely lose both his mate and his life.

"Do you know anything, Yumi?" asked Battousai, his tone demanding an answer at once.

Yumi gulped and looked up, freezing in her spot when she was met by two burning spheres of fire. She was getting colder from the inside out, despite the blazing inferno that was boring into her soul.

"I know nothing, milord. I am but a lady, I do not interfere with the men's quarrels with other beings," said Yumi as calmly and politely as she could.

Battousai narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. His face remained solemn as he inwardly smirked. Getting past a mortal's mind barriers was too easy sometimes.

A few minutes of silence later, servants walked in nervously with trays of food. They bowed to both Lords before placing the trays on the table in the center of the room. It was obvious that they were unnerved by the presence of the creature that could kill them with just a single stroke of his finger. It didn't help everyone knew of the Immortal's deeds either.

The vampires all backed away when they were done serving, keeping as close to the wall and as far away from the red-haired vampire as possible.

Battousai suddenly stood up from his seat, the bone-made throne vanishing as he stood. He hated being in areas where the thoughts of the weak were so easy to hear. Though it was amusing to read their fear, he did not like hearing them think so lowly of him, that he was nothing more than Akuma's spawn.

"Aren't you staying for dinner, Lord Battousai?" asked Shishio when the other vampire stood up and walked toward the door.

"I've had my fill," said Battousai darkly as he stepped out of the room. He was telling the truth, drinking a liter of Kaoru's blood did more than quench his thirst, it sparked his senses so that they burned like the fires of Hell. Somehow, her blood had made him stronger.

The vampire merely smirked as he went back to their room.

He himself could not understand why he had suddenly wanted to drink her blood earlier. It was as if her blood had been crying out at him to drink his fill. He could still smell her jasmine scent, could still see the sapphire-eyed sorceress. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her innocent blue ones. It was like a curse that couldn't be broken.

Battousai growled inwardly when he realized that he needed her, that he wouldn't be able to keep sane without her. The thought sent his dark ki flaring when he realized that his sanity would falter even when she was near him. The mere inkling of a suggestion that he was dependent on a mortal made his blood boil. He was Battousai, Prince of the Night, and he was going to overcome this obstacle if it were the last thing he did.

Ki blazing, the Dark Prince entered the room and walked over to the small form that lay peacefully on the blue futon.

**xXoXx**

"Sou! You have to be careful, the Prince of the Night will kill you if he finds out," said Misao's worried voice as she sat on a cushion in a dark room.

Megumi and Tsubame sat on either side of her, they were in a dark black room, a black star imprinted above them on the ceiling. The room was emptied, except for the walls that hung with black and white painting from past vampire artists. There were only four cushions inside, and the rest of the room was lit by black flickering candles, keeping the room dim and shadowy.

The three girls sat across a man with a simple smile upon his face. He had black hair that glimmered in silky waves in the candles' light. His eyes were a deep blue, his skin was pale yet perfectly soft like a baby's bottom, despite the training the man had endured from his Master Shishio. He was clad in a blue gi and a white hakama and a katana was placed calmly on the ground to his left where he could easily retrieve it if necessary.

As a vampire from the olden days, he was use to the old fashion of clothing and didn't care what others thought. It was also much easier to move with this clothing, giving the Tenken, as he was known, the ability to perform his godly moves with his superior speed. He had only lost to one being, and that was Battousai, his brother.

He had inherited his father's speed and sword abilities, but he was never strong enough to defeat his older brother. Though no matter what happened, he had always obeyed Battousai.

Even before when they were but a decade old, Battousai had always had that commanding aura. How his brother became immortal and wouldn't die even if he was stabbed in the heart a hundred times, he had no idea. But that didn't stop him from training to be like his brother. Their only difference was that Soujiro smiled and Battousai didn't, and that Soujiro could indeed die from a stab in the heart.

"Battousai won't kill me," said Soujiro calmly, his smile never wavering.

The three women instinctively jumped from that name. They had never known anyone as calm and unnerved as Soujiro when it came to the Dark Lord. Though they never figured out why, even Shishio was a little vulnerable when Battousai was around and that in itself was shocking. But the never wavering, smiling Soujiro didn't seem to care that the vampire was in the city.

"He said that he'd come here to see you before tomorrow night," said Megumi, her voice was obviously shaken from the thought of an old friend getting punished by the great Battousai.

"Don't worry so much about it you three. Battousai isn't one to kill without reason," said Soujiro with a reassuring smile upon his youthful looking face, even though he was but two years younger than Battousai himself.

"He has though! I've heard that..." Began Tsubame, but she was cut off when Soujiro's ocean depths met her earth ones, his eyes told them more than his fake smiles.

"They are merely rumors, Tsubame. You had better get back to the Akabeko, Tae will be worried," said Soujiro calmly.

"What about Lord Shishio?" asked Misao as the three stood.

"I have already informed him," said Soujiro with a smile.

"All right, but you better call us if anything happens!" said Misao with a teasing, threatening note in her youthful voice.

"I will," said Soujiro as he walked them out of the room.

"Bye, Sou! Take care," cried the three in unison as they stepped out of the room and left into the night with umbrellas in hand as they raced through the pouring rain once again.

Sighing, the Tenken walked back in after sliding the shoji shut. He sat back down on his cushion as the shadows danced about him from the flickering of the candles.

A true smile touched his lips and his eyes as he remembered how he had first met the two shape-shifters. He had saved them from extinction by killing two bounty hunters whom were after them. It was surprising that the two hadn't run away, but grown attached to him from that day forward. But by becoming close friends with mortals, and shape-shifters at that, he knew that his older brother would not approve.

Battousai never liked weaklings and he would expect his younger brother to only get close to those of his own kind, even then they were to be in the same league as he was. He was never one to like anyone that couldn't defend themselves either, or those who smile without a care in a world. Soujiro had never figured out why his older brother never smiled, why he hated those lower than him, which was basically everyone in the world.

Soujiro sighed, he had always wondered why his brother kept him alive after all these years. He was the only one that came close to his brother in power and he had been sure that Battousai would kill him once he thought that he was a threat. Though since he didn't, he was sure that his brother had to be stronger than he thought.

Rubbing his temples from all of this thinking, the vampire stood and walked deeper into the room until he was in front of what looked like a black coffin made of bones, which had been grinded and molded into shape.

Placing a hand in the center of the coffin, he allowed his dark blue ki to slowly travel through his body, to his hand, and down into the coffin. The blue energy seemed like a liquid as it traveled the frame of the coffin.

Slowly, the dark box began to open. Pale white-clawed fingers began to wrap themselves around the edge of the coffin as it opened.

Soujiro only smiled as the being within the coffin stepped out after over five centuries of slumber, when Battousai last visited Tokyo.

"Welcome back, my lady," said Soujiro as the dark figured looked up at him with a smirk.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru turned in her sleep, the room had suddenly gotten colder and the warmth of her magic had long since faded.

Opening her eyelids, Kaoru blinked a few times to get her vision back. A frown creased her features when she noticed that her ki wasn't the only one in the room. Someone else was with her, and according to the person's blazing ki, the person was none too happy.

Lightning flashed, acting like her nightlight, its light surrounding the form of a very powerful outline, even when the lightning faded, she could still see the person's red and black ki.

Gulping, she slowly sat up on her futon, one hand clutching the front of her black robes.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kaoru, her voice gaining courage with each word she spoke. A part of her knew very well that the vampire before her wouldn't kill her, but a part of her also knew better than to get him angry.

Amber orbs narrowed as they met her icy blue ones.

Kaoru internally flinched when she saw the emotions playing within those dangerous spheres of fire. Hate, disgust, anger, and what seemed like pleasure in some form were sparkling within his eyes. She didn't understand why he was showing her his feelings. Why was he all of a sudden revealing them to her, and why now of all times?

"Why shouldn't I be here?" asked Battousai calmly, too calmly for the sorceress's taste.

Biting her lower lip, Kaoru merely kept her gaze on his eyes before speaking.

"It's not right for a man to be in an unmarried woman's room while she's sleeping," said Kaoru boldly. She was going to keep her dignity whether her captor liked it or not.

She immediately regretted her words when Battousai grinned at her, his eyes sparkling in the dark as he bent down on one knee so that they were eye level.

Instinctively, Kaoru moved back a bit from his uncomfortable gaze. There was something peculiar about they way he stared at her, it was as if he just wanted to eat her up in one bite.

Shuddering from the thought, Kaoru flinched when Battousai's right hand held her chin up, forcing her to meet his deadly stare.

"There's a lot for you to learn, young one," said Battousai mockingly before continuing, "You should be happy that you're not out in the rain."

Gulping, Kaoru kept silent. Every word that he said seemed to make her colder, yet for some reason, his voice both terrified and coaxed in a strange, hypnotic way. There was something wrong with this, but for right now, she was too busy looking into his bloodlust-filled eyes in terror to ponder about it.

Battousai's chuckle sent waves of curiosity, shock, and confusion through Kaoru. He slowly moved to stand, but his eyes never left hers.

"Learn your place, woman. You and I both know that destroying the Dark Diamond Weapons is utterly impossible, that they can only be destroyed by each other," Battousai smirked. "In the end, there will always be one left." His eyes narrowed as he looked down at her. "You know that you can't take these weapons from me, sorceress. I suggest that you don't ever underestimate my strength again, Kamiya. You're not needed to help me find these weapons, I have more than enough pawns to find them for me," said Battousai venomously.

Immediately after saying those words, Battousai inwardly cursed and knocked on wood. It was true that he didn't need her to find the weapons, but he needed her blood. She was like nicotine, one taste and he become addicted. He growled internally for being dependent on a magical being's blood. But as long as she didn't know that, she couldn't use it against him. Battousai smirked. He was still the strongest, he was still without fault.

Kaoru bowed her head in defeat. Who had she been trying to kid? Had she thought that she could defeat _Battousai_ of all people?

"Where are we?" asked Kaoru suddenly, refusing to look up at him. What was the point of looking up when she already knew he was smirking in triumph?

"You're in our room at Shishio's palace," answered Battousai absently as he looked at a picture of a female demon.

"Our room?" asked Kaoru in shock as she looked up at him in surprise. There was no way she was going to share a ed with this man. She looked around for another futon, but there was none. This was not good at all.

Battousai snorted in disgust as he heard her thoughts.

Kaoru looked up at him perplexed.

"Do you really think that I'd stoop that low?" asked Battousai darkly, his words dripping with poison.

She only blinked at him bewildered.

"I can hear your thoughts, wench, and I advise you to either keep them in or don't think at all," snapped Battousai distastefully. His patience was wearing thin.

Kaoru was about to snap back, but thought better of it. It wasn't the smartest move someone could make to get the Dark Lord pissed off, especially when he already looked annoyed. Not wanting to fuel the fire, Kaoru kept quiet.

"We're leaving for Soujiro's palace tomorrow at dawn," stated Battousai as he walked toward his wall, his cape wrapping itself around his form as he sat down calmly. Routinely, he propped his katana against his shoulder and placed his other weapons on the ground.

Raising a delicate eyebrow, Kaoru watched as the vampire shut his eyes.

"Just get some sleep, sorceress, or do I have to help you go back to sleep again?" asked Battousai as he bore his fangs so she could see that he wasn't joking around. Another drink never hurt anyone.

Kaoru stared at him dumbfounded before glaring at him. So her suspicions of herself getting drained of blood were right! She glare turned deadly when his red lips twitched up into a smirk.

Frowning that she couldn't do anything about it, Kaoru reluctantly laid back down on her futon. Gradually, she allowed her eyelids to close above her tired eyes. After all, she was going to need her time to sleep if she was going to put up with her captor tomorrow.

So allowing sleep to lure her to her nightly slumber, Kaoru completely closed her eyes and mind, unaware of the golden ones that never fully sealed.


	6. The Blood Within Me

Chapter SIX: **_The Blood Within Me_**

The morning sun had barely touched the horizon when Kaoru felt a jolt of pain coming from her neck. It pierced its way through her entire body, causing her to wake up abruptly and shoot up from her futon in a cold sweat.

"It's about time you got up," said a low and dark voice from her left in the shadows.

Kaoru bit her lower lip as she moved her blanket away from her body. She was about to stand, but the pain raced back and grew like a wild fire catching onto a piece of fallen tree on a windy day. She placed a cold hand on her neck in hopes of stopping the pain, but to no prevail. It seemed that not ever her magic could lift the awful feeling that plagued her youthful form.

She would have looked up startled when Battousai knelt beside her, but the pain was just too unbearable and wouldn't allow her to face him.

Slowly, she began to rock herself back and forth as she pulled herself into a small ball. The pain was getting worse and she was growing cold. Her breathing became rigid as she struggled to breathe; it was laborious just to allow one gulp of air to enter her body again.

As if by miracle, the pain began to subside when two powerful arms came from behind and wrapped themselves around her thin form, causing her to stop moving and her breath to catch at what was happening.

One hand moved from her waist and up to her neck as the other hand remained about her. Two clawed fingers pressed against the area at which fangs had once been and applied enough pressure to make her freeze in her spot.

Waiting until her breathing became normal, Battousai took his fingers away from her neck. One hand bringing her closer to him, he brought his forefinger of his free hand to his mouth. Using a fang as a needle, he poked it until droplets of black blood flowed out.

"Drink it," ordered Battousai as he moved his already healing finger toward her agape mouth.

Obediently, Kaoru began to suckle on the blood before the wound fully healed itself. Soon enough, she felt the pain release its hold on her as the dark blood she drank swiftly made its way throughout her body.

Her body began to warm her limbs as she slowly found herself relaxing into the body behind her.

"Your blood flows through me and mines yours. You belong to me now and I keep what's mine," said Battousai's dark voice in her ear as he pulled her closer to him.

Kaoru only nodded, too dizzy in the warmth to fully register what he has said and claimed. His words flowed through her, his blood within her decoding the message that she had failed to understand.

Gradually, feeling came back in a prickling sensation, all the way from her head to her toes. It was as if thousands of spiders were crawling on her creamy white skin. She visibly shuddered despite the warmth that was surrounding her and that in itself seemed to have come from within her.

As quickly as the sensation and warmth had come, they vanished, leaving her with an odd longing to have the feeling return along with another wave of warmth. It had left her feeling cold and all too lonely. She hated the feeling of being alone, hated the darkness that followed the coldness.

Too busy with the feelings within her, she failed to comprehend what was happening outside of her thoughts--didn't notice that her limp body was being carried swiftly from the futon. She was too caught up in feeling alone again to realize that another being was with her, holding her to his warmth.

Walking out of the room, Battousai looked at the bundle in his arms. He didn't bother to open the door, his ki was powerful enough to open them without any effort at all.

Rounding a corner, he came face to face with a surprised female vampire mistress, who was currently dressed in her normal revealing kimono.

"My Lord," greeted Yumi with a courteous bow despite her curiosity about who it was that Battousai was carrying in his arms. She knew that he had brought someone in with him from servants, but she didn't think that the woman would be swarming with such a dark aura.

"She's tasted my blood," said Battousai, answering the silent question and gaining a gaping response from the questioner.

Yumi's gray-wine eyes fell upon the girl's neck and she gasped at the two clearly visible fang marks.

"You drank from her, yet she still lives? But that's impossible! The venom in your fangs should have gotten coursed through her entire body by now, it should have the moment you injected your fangs within her," said Yumi, clearly surprised that a mere human managed to live so long after such an event. And the fact that she wasn't changed into a vampire from taking such a powerful being's blood was another shocking twist.

The thought was unbelievable: Battousai not finishing off a victim? It was absurd, yet here was a human--a living, breathing mortal before her--that managed to survive after an attack from the Battousai himself. She wouldn't have believed it if she didn't see the marks and sense the blood ki of Battousai within the girl's body herself.

"I know what you're thinking, Yumi, but she didn't bite me to finish off the transformation. She merely drank my blood, which has cleared her body of my poison," said Battousai, his face expressionless.

"So she has become immune to you then?" questioned Yumi in utter disbelief.

"Indeed she has," said Battousai, looking down at the sleeping form in his arms with a stoic expression upon his smooth face.

Yumi looked at Kaoru's form, cradled in Battousai's arms, and couldn't help but smile from the girl's innocence. She knew that Kaoru was pure, could feel the purity flowing through her even with Battousai's dark blood. There was something about the girl that she couldn't help but like and admire.

"I won't tell anyone," promised Yumi as she looked up at Battousai with a weak smile upon her lips. They both knew that this was to be their secret, not a soul was to know what he had done to Kaoru as of yet.

Battousai nodded before vanishing, his black barrier going with him.

'_I guess there's hope for you after all._' Thought Yumi as she looked toward the eternal azure sky with a pure smile upon her lips. Oh, how she had longed for the one day when her brother would finally be at peace. She loved Soujiro the most out of their family, but Battousai had always been her idol and she could only hope for the best, hope for the day when he would finally find peace with himself.

**xXoXx**

Cotton-shaped clouds hung over the large palace, which was located on the left side of the Tokyo, as the vampire servants raced about doing morning chores before the sun fully rose into the sky. Even though they had long since gotten use to the blazing sun, it didn't stop them from loathing it from the bottom of their blackened hearts.

The palace was like that of Shishio's, the walls made of rice paper and wood while arches and beams supported the palace. In large bold words above the entrance of large home were the words: **Seta Residence**.

A green bird with delicate wings and emerald orbs flapped its wings before catching a current and swooping down to land on the roof above the sign with perfection. The bird cocked its head as it watched the servants hastily work, watched as the vampires scurried back and forth so they wouldn't have to remain outside when the sun rose from the horizon.

A few moments later, a violet bird fluttered down beside the green one, both anxious to see the resident of the household step out.

Their eyes were anxious as they looked upon the only road that led from the village to the brilliant palace that seemed to have a dark, yet peaceful aura about it.

Below the duo stepped out the lord of the palace in his normal blue-white gi and hakama. To the birds' curiosity, a woman stepped out beside him in a black and red flower imprinted kimono. She was obviously a vampire from her ki and her features only proved it. She possessed long, green hair that fell swiftly to her shoulders, which was attached to a perfectly shaped body.

Tilting their heads, the two birds looked at each other before flapping their wings and taking off. Together, they both flapped downward toward the couple.

Upon reaching the vampires, the green bird vanished in green smoke while the purple one went out in a purple cloud.

Misao looked at the two with a smile in her green robes as she appeared before them, along with Megumi, who was clad in her violet ones.

"Good morning, Megumi, Misao," said Soujiro in his usual happy note as he smiled at them.

The woman only glared at the two shape-shifters before placing her arm in Soujiro's and practically hung off of his arm.

"Good morning, Lord Soujiro," said the two in unison as they bowed to him awkwardly. They were use to greeting him as a friend, but at the presence of this woman, the old way seemed to be wrong somehow.

"Oh, forgive me for being rude, this is Shura, my lady. Shura, these two are Megumi and Misao," introduced Soujiro with his regular smile plastered on his face.

Megumi and Misao stared at him in shock. Not once in the five decades that they knew him had they been told that Seta Soujiro had a mate, they hadn't even heard of a such a rumor

Shape-shifters were much like vampires, the only differences were that shape-shifters could change to any animal or person that they chose and didn't have to live off of blood. Both species were capable of living for centuries, so long as both their brain and heart remained in tact. It was as close to immortality as anyone could get. The only exception to the rule was Battousai, who had proved a hundred times over that immortality did in fact exist.

The two shape-shifters gaped at the vampire couple in surprise.

Before they could question the two, a voice came from the shadows, stopping them from speaking.

"Soujiro," said a familiar cold and dark voice from behind them.

They all gasped and quickly bowed to the immortal, however, internally they were all questioning about who it was that Battousai was carrying so tightly and securely in his arms.

"Show me to a room," commanded Battousai once his brother looked up.

"Of course," said Soujiro with a polite smile before leading his brother into his home quickly.

Shura, Misao, and Megumi stayed in their spots, too afraid to be in the presence of the Dark Lord for long. The man had a knack for killing others for no particular reason at all, so therefore, staying outside was the safest choice–anywhere away from the vampire was safer.

**xXoXx**

"Why did you decide to awaken her now?" demanded Battousai. It was amazing how his questions never seemed like questions, but instead commands for answers.

They siblings walked on in silence, moving deeper into the palace.

Battousai glimpsed down at the sorceress in his arms and adjusted her position in his arms, unconsciously making sure she was comfortable.

Kaoru's body had long since stopped moving and only her breathing could be heard. She lied limply against Battousai's chest, resembling a child being carried to bed. Her soft and angelic face making her appear more like a child than the worn out woman she really was.

"What are you talking about Lord Battousai?" asked Soujiro innocently as he looked over his shoulder at him, making his brother look up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Drop the formal crap, Soujiro. We both know that you only took the wench as a mate to please Mother and Father. If you thought I'd be like them and blow a fuse for you abandoning your mate, then you're sadly mistaken. Our parents have long since died, so drop the wench if you don't like her," said Battousai curtly, disgusted that his brother should put up with such a thing for so long.

"You were always one to get right to the point," said Soujiro with a grin to his brother as they walked side by side.

Battousai only snorted as Soujiro turned a corner and slid open a shoji door, allowing his brother to gain entrance first.

The room was fairly large and was painted in an azure blue color. In the center was a large blue futon, a closet was placed to the left, and toward the right was a mountain-pictured screen, which was painted with gold and white colors. Like Shishio's guestroom, there was a large black star on the ceiling, which seemed to have changed to a blue color like the rest of the room.

Not caring for the decorations of the room, Battousai practically glided across the room, not bothering to stop and take in the room's design.

Kneeling down beside the futon, Battousai moved the blue blanket from the bed and carefully placed the sorceress down so as not to hurt her. He covered her with the blanket before he stood and faced his brother again.

"No one is to ever enter this room," stated Battousai, his voice commanding, meant to be respected and feared.

"Of course," said Soujiro, his blue orbs falling on Kaoru's angelic features, which caused him to briefly wonder why and how such a beauty such as her was with a person like his brother. It perplexed him that Battousai, the most feared being known, was being so protective over a mere mortal. The girl seemed normal enough to him.

"Soujiro," said Battousai's deep voice, snapping his sibling back to reality.

"Yes, Battousai?" asked Soujiro as his blue eyes met his brother's golden ones.

"No matter what happens, never touch, hold, or drink from her. Understood?" said Battousai seriously, his voice stern. There was a threat to Battousai's words that plainly stated that if he didn't do as he was told, then there'll be hell to pay.

"Yes, sir," said Soujiro as he quickly bowed to Battousai, leaving the two alone when he slid the shoji door shut behind him.

As he was walking away, Soujiro could feel his brother's dark aura bringing up a powerful barrier that encircled the room in a shroud of darkness.

Battousai's words only made the younger vampire even more curious than before. There had to be something really important about that girl for Battousai to act in such a possessive way. He had a feeling that his brother had done something that he didn't want others to know about, but what could be so dark a secret that Battousai, who didn't even fear the gods themselves, was being careful about it?

Shaking the thought from his head, Soujiro placed back on his smile before he went back to the entrance. His smile became a real one when he was greeted by three anxious women.

"Who was that woman, milord?" asked Shura as soon as Soujiro reached them.

"I don't know and asking Battousai will get us no where," said Soujiro.

Megumi snorted, like they would dare to question the Prince of the Night about anything? You'd have to be either brain dead or suicidal to do such a dumb thing.

"Well, do you two wish to stay for breakfast?" asked Soujiro casually as if nothing odd had happened that morning and that a dark aura wasn't currently pulsing from his house. Amazing enough, even with Battousai's presence his smile was still in tact.

The two sisters only smiled weakly at the vampire's invitation. The thought of eating before a legend would have put anyone on edge, and the fact that the legend was _Battousai_ himself did nothing to calm the two shape-shifters.

"Do stay as our guests," said Shura with a smile as she locked her arm around Soujiro's left arm. "I do wish to learn more about my lord's friends."

"We would love to, but we do not wish to bother you," said Misao with a faltering smile. The sooner she got out of Battousai's range, the better.

"But I insist," said Shura, her eyes sparkling.

There was something in the woman's dark depths that made the two shape-shifter nervous.

"We really must be going," said Megumi as politely as she could, her arm grabbing Misao's so that they could both leave. Shura alone was making her uneasy, but the thought of eating in front of Battousai as well was just too much.

"Where to?" asked Soujiro curiously.

"We want to tell Tae not to worry. You seem to have everything under control here, so we'll be going now," said Megumi with a forced smile as the two got ready to transform and fly off.

"Then do tell her that I shall be over today at noon for our regular meeting," said Soujiro with a smile to them.

"Sure thing. Good bye," said Misao as the two bowed before vanishing in clouds of purple and green smoke, both of them flying off as small birds.

"Who was that woman?" asked Shura again as she faced her mate.

"I already told you, Shura, I don't know. We'll just have to wait until she wakes up and ask her ourselves. Knowing my brother, he won't answer our questions without a price or some riddle," said Soujiro, his features growing dark with curiosity. He needed to have answers and he wanted them soon.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru twist and turned as she felt the coldness go through her again. She began to tremble as she felt the loneliness return. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Her body was writhing in cold sweat, and the thought of being alone made the feeling worse. She didn't want to be alone, not again, never again.

She brought her hands around her as she curled up into a protective ball, hoping to bring back the heat that she missed so dearly. The only thing that she hated and feared was being alone. She shuddered at the thought of being without warmth, without comfort, without someone to protect her from the cruelties of life. She had lost that warmth when her parents died, had lost it when _he_ left her. There was a pang in her heart that tore as her brain accidentally remembered _him _again

Shivering from the cold and hurt that filled her, she began to rock back and forth, cradling her body like her mother had done, like _he_ had done.

Suddenly, she felt that same feeling she thought she had lost the night her mother had left her, the feeling of comfort, warmth, and trust, but the love her mother so willingly gave her was missing.

Kaoru began to tremble as she grasped at the object that was bringing her the blessed warmth.

Looking up, her sapphire eyes saw familiar flaming-red hair. Warm arms brought her into a lap as she held onto the person's clothing like a lifeline. She rested her head against his chest and allowed her tears run down cheeks in an endless waterfall. She didn't know why they fell, why she was crying, all she knew was that she was.

Gradually, the pain that she once felt began to leave her body and she soon went back to sleep, unaware that the person who was holding her was watching her every movement and glaring down at her.

"Thank you... Thank you, Shinta," whispered Kaoru as her eyes drooped close and she fell into a deep slumber once again.

Battousai stiffened at the name and looked down at the sorceress. The hate of having to care for such a weakling fled from his face, leaving behind a softer look in his eyes as he eyed the form in his lap. His grip became softer as he placed a loose strand of lavender locks behind her ear.

His eyes flickered into a steel blue as he slowly lifted her up and moved to place her back onto the futon, but stopped when she clung onto him and shook her head vigorously as he moved to put her down.

"Don't leave me, Shinta! Not again. Please," begged Kaoru's voice as she snuggled her head deeper into his chest and clung tightly, refusing to let him go.

Instead of slapping her awake for comparing himself to another being like most would have done, Battousai didn't care and held her closer to him as he settled back down. There was no one there to tease him about being so open, so therefore it didn't matter. The name that she called rang a bell within his head, but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it before. It was so familiar, yet so strange, but he couldn't help but soften every time she said it and clung to him like there was nothing else.

A smirk tugged at the immortal's lips as he looked down at the girl that lay helpless in his arms. How he could easily just bite and drain her of life in one swift movement, but he knew he couldn't kill her. Not yet anyways. He only needed her to find the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell and that was all. After that he would drain her, but he had to make sure that her blood lasted that long. The very thought of having to depend on another person's blood made him boil with anger. He knew that the day he drank from her completely would be his last--he would never again taste anything as sweet her own liquid, her blood of fire and wine.

Growling that he couldn't kill her without losing what he craved the most, Battousai glared down at the source of his frustration. He knew that there had to be something about her that drew him to her, something else that made him keep her living and breathing without the excuse of being able to find the weapons. Battousai knew that there was another reason as to why he had kept her alive that night when they first met, a reason why he didn't drain her completely then. There was some connection between her and him, but he didn't know what.

Shaking his thoughts out of his head, he looked to the right of the room where the four weapons were placed. Each one seemed to glow with a black aura about them. He could feel them pulse with power and slowly, as if the weapons were devouring the room, the room began to turn black. The original hue of the room was now filled with dark shadows.

Battousai looked once more at Kaoru, who had gained control of herself and fallen into a peaceful sleep, but her grip on his front shirt hadn't loosened.

The vampire's steel blue eyes took in every curve of the sorceress' body and face.

Battousai's eyes lingered upon her the left side of her neck, where his fangs had once been injected. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he realized that the mark had become an inch-long, black star, effectively marking her. He didn't know what it meant, but it was something that he had to find out and soon.

He knew that others were going to go after the weapons and her, knew that he couldn't afford to let that happen. No one was going to take the weapons from him and no one was going to take her, but him, and he was going to make sure of it.


	7. Memories

Chapter SEVEN:** _Memories_**

_Kaoru was racing down the brown pathway that led deep within the forest. Blood was dripping from her blue kimono, the stench of death all around her as she ran for her life. Her creamy white skin was tainted with blood as she raced down the road toward the Silver River to clean herself of the darkness that now clung to her. She ran behind a tree as she noticed the group of vampires catching up to her with weapons in hand, her breathing coming out in rigid gasps as she began to shiver._

_Once they were gone, she ran onward toward the river. She didn't know why she was going there, she just had to get there. Not realizing where she was going, she ran on and staggered back when she rushed right into the powerful chest of a being before her._

_Sapphire orbs widened in horror as she saw the face of not a vampire, but a werewolf. The creature's icy blue eyes bore into her own as he advanced on her._

_The werewolf was in its human form, clothed in a trench coat, twin kodachi hanging to his sides as he glided towards her with confidence in each stride._

_Turning, she raced the other way. She had to get away from the creature, she couldn't let him catch her and use her to get to the other weapons and use it for his own gain._

_Kaoru ran on, her legs racing toward another destination that she didn't know was even there. All she knew was that she had to get away from the monster that was chasing her._

_She stopped suddenly as she came toward a cliff, the pebbles falling down to the river below. The sorceress backed away, but upon turning around she saw the creature she had been avoiding advance toward her with a grin on his features._

_A scream pierced through the air like a knife cutting through rice paper._

_Kaoru could feel herself fall down towards the rushing water, blood flowing out of her injured left shoulder. She had barely time to catch the glimpse of the black weapon when it came from above and fell down upon her; threatening to end her life._

_She felt herself tumbling down toward the raging water, could feel the air leave her lungs and be replaced by the blue liquid as she crashed down upon the river's glimmering, indigo surface. Her lithe form was carried away with the water like a leaf getting carried by the roaring winds in a storm._

_When she finally managed to open her eyes, she coughed up the water that remained within her limp body. Her eyes snapped open as she realized that she was being held by a pair of warm arms, which were wrapped protectively around her form._

_Looking up at her savior's face, she felt herself becoming mesmerized by the shining amethyst eyes that promised her protection, warmth, and a hint of love._

"_You'll be all right, little one," said the man, his voice vibrating through her, calming her into relaxation._

_Taking in his handsome features, she couldn't help but smile weakly at him. His blood-red locks placed in a high ponytail, his face clear of any scars, his white outfit making him look like a knight, and his smile taking her breath away._

_When he was about to put her down, she shook her head and clung onto him, not wanting to leave his warmth and feel vulnerable again._

"_Please don't leave me," she whispered into his chest._

"_I won't. I'll hold you until you go to sleep. I promise you I'll be here once you wake up. Just go to sleep," soothed the man as he moved the stray hair from her face with a comforting smile. _

_She hadn't even noticed the fangs that appeared from his smile, she was just happy to be in his arms._

"_What's your name?" asked the warm voice._

"_Kaoru..."_

"_My name is Shinta," said the deep voice that echoed through her mind as she slowly drifted off to sleep again._

**xXoXx**

Kaoru suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. She looked around frantically, hoping to find Shinta beside her somewhere.

Realizing that she was lying on a futon in a dark room, she sighed.

'_Why did I dream about him again?'_ Questioned Kaoru to herself as she rubbed her pulsating temples with her quivering hands. He had abandoned her there beside the river and hadn't kept his promise of being there for her when she woke up.

She didn't understand why it meant so much to her that he hadn't been there. She didn't know why she still longed to see him again, why his broken promise tore at her so even after so long.

The incident had happened a year ago, yet here she was, once again dreaming about the distant past. Actually, if she recalled correctly, it had happened on the same day that she had lost her parents and met Battousai in the Forbidden Woods.

The sorceress only shook her head. She had promised herself that she would forget about him, that he meant nothing to her, and the only reason why she wanted to see him again was to thank him for saving her life. But her heart knew better--it had been love at first sight. She had fallen in love with a complete stranger, yet he didn't seem like one at all. It was like she knew him long before that dreadful day that she almost lost her life to the rushing river.

Her vision began to blur as she remembered. Burning tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall as her mind caught up with her heart.

"Crying won't get you anywhere," a dark voice said to her left.

Her head snapped up and through her hazy vision, she made out the outline of Battousai. If the voice hadn't been so cold, she would have mistaken him for Shinta.

She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, she wasn't going to cry before this creature.

The Dark Lord stood up and looked down at her.

Kaoru instinctively drew the blanket to her as he walked over to her, his amber eyes looking over her as if she were a rabbit and he the wolf.

Before anything was done, Battousai was at the door and had slid it open to reveal the owner of the place.

Soujiro stood on the other side, smiling as usual, his navy blue eyes looking at his brother. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaoru adjust her wrinkled robes on the futon.

"Breakfast is ready, milord," said Soujiro with a polite bow to his older sibling.

Battousai glared at him and had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He saw his brother's smile and noticed that his eyes matched it for once. He had a feeling that Soujiro enjoyed annoying him with his formal greetings and gestures.

"Shall I send two trays in here or would you like to eat with us, Lord Battousai?" asked Soujiro.

"Send one tray in here. I'll feed on my own," said Battousai.

"Very well, milord," said Soujiro as he bowed and left the room, but not without meeting the sapphire orbs of his other guest.

The Prince of the Night slid the door shut before turning to face Kaoru, his eyes turning into a golden hue that seemed as if it had taken all the light from the sun. The room seemed to change into a darker shade of black as he looked at her.

"You are not to leave this room," said Battousai, his voice commanding, daring her to object. The threat that lingered in the air didn't go unheeded from his prisoner.

Once he was certain she understood, he stepped back into the darkness, the shadows enveloping his form as if eating him alive.

Kaoru let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding when she felt his dark aura vanish from the room. It was then that she finally managed to take a good look around the room. It seemed just like the other room that she had stayed in, just that it had a screen and seemed as if it weren't always so dark and gloomy.

Her eyes suddenly fell on the dagger and reverse-blade sword that were left behind, noticing the dark glow around them. She shivered as she felt the black aura that was their own and Battousai's. It seemed that the two weapons had already accepted him as their new Master. She really was surprised, considering that there was no one darker than the Battousai that was alive.

She cringed as she remembered why the weapons were made. Kaoru knew that once all seven weapons were found she would be destroyed, for that was what the weapons were created to do. But she also knew that she'd find a way to destroy all the weapons before that ever happened, she'd find a way to destroy them all once she got the chance. For now, all she could do is obey orders and try not to get killed before then. She wasn't going to die and that was that. She was going to live on, that's what they would have all wanted.

A knock at her door snapped her out of her thoughts. The door slowly slid open and in walked the Lord of the Seta Residence with a smile upon his face and a tray with simple dishes in his hand.

Closing the door, Soujiro walked toward Kaoru and placed the tray down before her as she nodded in thanks.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I didn't quite catch your name," said Soujiro as he moved a hand behind his head and smiled nervously.

"My name is Kaoru. Kaoru Kamiya," answered the teenager as she got off the futon and sat on her knees before her tray.

"That's a lovely name, Miss Kaoru. May I ask why you're with Lord Battousai?" asked Soujiro, his voice a bit more serious, yet still polite.

Kaoru stopped her chopsticks before her lips, the rice sticking to them.

Licking the rice from her mouth, she looked back up at Soujiro, her features becoming solemn.

"I didn't mean to pry into your business," said Soujiro as he moved to leave, but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him.

"You aren't," said Kaoru in a mere whisper as Soujiro sat back down.

"Your lord found me in the Forbidden Woods, you could say that he saved me," said Kaoru as she slowly began to eat her rice. Her eyes weren't looking at Soujiro as she spoke, but through him and back to the past of the fateful night that she had to go and stumble upon the Dark Lord himself.

Soujiro raised an eyebrow at her: Battousai saving a mortal? Now he was even more curious about the female before him. There was something about her that wasn't human and something about her that reminded him of Battousai. But why would a mortal remind him of his brother? Not unless... No it couldn't be true! Battousai would never do such a thing, not unless he marked her as his own.

His brain began to register thousands of possibilities that seemed reasonable, yet there was something wrong about thinking that Battousai would do something as to save a mortal from death. Battousai, the immortal known for his cruelty, power, and lust for blood had saved a mortal soul, it was just too much for one to comprehend, yet it wasn't too far from impossible.

The vampire lord looked at Kaoru seriously, he had so much to ask her, but something was holding him back. He now knew why Battousai was drawn to this girl, there was something about her that seemed impossible to forget, something that he couldn't quite understand.

"Milord?" asked Kaoru when she noticed that he seemed to be staring at her.

"Oh! I was just remembering something that I have to do, I'm supposed to be eating breakfast with my wife. Good day," said Soujiro as he nodded to her and quickly left the room, leaving Kaoru bewildered at his actions.

Kaoru only went back to eating quietly after Soujiro left. She would need her strength if she ever wanted to get out of Battousai's reach.

**xXoXx**

Battousai grinned as the red liquid dripped from his fangs and landed on his lips. Licking his lips, he walked calmly out of the woods. He always did enjoy the burning sensation that went down his throat every time he had his meals warm. It slid down his throat like warm milk and coated his mouth with a wonderful aftertaste like when you first drink fine wine, just ten times better.

Licking the rest of the blood from his fangs, he walked back onto the narrow path and towards Soujiro's home once again.

The Prince stopped when he felt a familiar dark ki come from behind him. He calmly turned around and faced the other vampire with narrowed eyes.

The vampire was in a blue officer outfit, his cap shielding his amber eyes as he grinned up at Battousai, not a single hint of fear present on his face. The man had a long katana to his left. He showed no respect to the immortal as he met Battousai's eyes, not bothering to bow to the creature like others would. The vampire was obviously either very powerful or very stupid.

"What do you want, Saitou?" asked Battousai.

Saitou only grinned, annoying the vampire lord with his insolence.

"Temper, temper, Battousai. You shouldn't let your anger blind you," said Saitou, clearing enjoying messing around with his lord.

Amber eyes narrowed into slits dangerously.

"I only came to tell you about Shinomori," said Saitou calmly when he realized that Battousai wasn't joking around anymore.

"What do the actions of the Oniwanbanshuu Leader have to do with anything, let alone _me_?" asked Battousai. He really had no interest for what the man did, since the Oniwanbanshuu Group had always been full of werewolves, and as a vampire, he had no care for them.

"I found something that might interest you, Battousai," said Saitou.

Battousai raised a questioning brow.

"Shinomori has chosen a mate," said Saitou in a low voice.

"That would concern me because?" asked Battousai, irritated that Saitou should bother him with such a thing that didn't concern him in any manner whatsoever.

"You know the rumors about him having the twin kodachi of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell, don't you?" asked Saitou.

"Go on," said Battousai, now interested.

"I had Chou go there and find out more information, and it seems that his mate is rumored to have the kunai weapon with her. Though it's very doubtful from what my officer said. The girl seemed to be lying and Shinomori only wanting to marry her for her weapon seems inaccurate," said Saitou as he pulled out a cigar and lit it before taking in a long drag.

Battousai suddenly laughed, his laugh dark and rich just like his voice. The very sound seemed to be coated with its own dark aura.

Saitou only looked at him with amusement in his eyes.

"So, Shinomori wants to lead me to him, eh? Well, then I might as well take the invitation," said Battousai with a grin.

He had always wanted to fight this creature again, their last battle had been rudely interrupted. The Dark Lord knew what Aoshi was planning and he nearly smiled. He was making finding the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons all too easy for him. Once he had Aoshi's weapons, there was only going to be one left to find before all of Asia belonged to him.

"Saitou, I want you to go to Kyoto and to my Black Castle. Tell my people to get ready for another battle. You have my permission to kill those in your way," said Battousai.

The other vampire only grinned before stepping back toward the forest and vanishing from sight.

"You've made this too easy for me, Okashira," said Battousai as he walked back towards the sorceress and his brother, the aura about him darkening as his smirk grew.

**xXoXx**

"Hello, Tae," said Soujiro when he walked into the restaurant at noon like he always did.

"Good afternoon, Lord Soujiro," greeted Tae as she walked over after taking a few orders from her customers.

"How was your walk, Lord Soujiro?" asked Tsubame as she came out with tea for him.

"Very well, thank you, Tsubame," said Soujiro as he sat down at a table that was prepared for him as always when he came. It was right next to the entrance so that he was able to see who entered the Akabeko and who left at all times.

"Where's your mate?" asked Tae as she smiled at him.

"So they've told you?" asked Soujiro with a smile.

Tae frowned at him before ordering the other workers to bring over a dish of food for their Lord.

"So what have you heard?" asked Soujiro as he toyed with the empty cup in his right hand.

"I've heard lots of things," said Tae with a small frown.

Soujiro looked at her seriously, Tae wasn't one to get depressed over small things.

"Lord Aoshi has chosen a mate," said Tae in a whisper. She watched as the other vampire looked at her in shock, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.

"Who, may I ask, is the lucky lady?" questioned Soujiro with a bright smile. He was happy that one of his fellow Lords, even though they were old enemies as well, was to get married. He was rather happy that after so many centuries Aoshi had finally decided to buckle down and have a mate.

"I don't know, but the werewolves are saying that she has _the_ kunai, the one that's made of dark diamond," said Tae in a low whisper so that only he could hear.

Soujiro's expression became grave as he looked at her in dead in the eyes. Talk about the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell was significant, no one ever joked about it unless the person didn't care for his or her worthless life.

"Do you have any idea whom this female might be, what type of creature she is?" asked Soujiro.

"I heard that she's a mix of vampire and werewolf," answered Tae.

The vampire looked at her in surprise, but then managed to put a smile on his face.

"I guess that Lord Battousai shall be going back to Kyoto sooner than expected," said Soujiro, it wasn't a thought, it was a statement. He knew that his brother would go after Aoshi for the kodachi that belonged to the man and now that there was another item, no one was going to stop the immortal from getting what he wants.

Soujiro kind of felt bad for Aoshi, he was going to have to fight the strongest being alive, and an immortal at that.

"I don't know why Lord Battousai didn't go after the twin kodachi before," said Tae. She immediately covered her mouth with her hands as she realized that she had questioned the immortal being's actions.

"It's okay, Tae, you're not the only one who has questioned that," said Soujiro with a comforting smile.

Tae only smiled weakly at him, but the memories of how Battousai had slaughtered all those who dared questioned him kept playing in her mind. She internally shivered.

"Does Misao know?" asked Soujiro, trying to take her mind off of the subject. He knew what she was thinking and it was understandable that she would think that way. That's how all others thought, that disobedience and questions could get you killed.

Tae sadly shook her head.

"Hey, Tae, get some beef stew over here, will you?" demanded a pack of werewolves from the table across the restaurant.

"In a minute," shouted Tae as she bowed to Soujiro and went into the kitchen to get the order.

'_Misao isn't going to like this'_. Thought Soujiro as he sighed. He knew that this piece of information was going to break her heart, knew that she was going to do all that she could to make sure that the wedding was stopped. The vampire only shook his head at the thought.

"Hey Sou! Where's Shura?" piped a voice that was directly in front of him.

Looking up, he smiled as he saw Megumi and Misao before him

Gesturing them to sit down, he confronted them both.

"She wanted to stay at home," said Soujiro with a smile.

The two only nodded as they ordered their own dishes.

"So, what information did you get?" asked Misao with a grin as Soujiro only smiled nervously at her.

Misao had known that she would be able of get the information out of Soujiro once he got the information out of Tae. She grinned, she knew that he came to the Akabeko everyday at noon to get information and she had timed her visits here so that she'd be able to catch him and get some information as well. It was like the water cycle in a way. No matter where you start off, you always end up getting water and the water always ends up on the Earth. In this case, she always ended up getting the information and the information always ends up going back to the person that had told it. Misao was known to spread rumors, but she referred to her actions as passing information along.

"Misao," said Soujiro in a serious tone that made the two raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yes?"

"Aoshi has chosen a mate," said Soujiro, getting right to the point.

The vampire awaited the shape-shifter to scream in outcry, and indeed she did, but not the way that he nor did anyone else had expected her to.


	8. The Mix between Species

Chapter EIGHT: **_The Mix between Species_**

Soujiro smiled weakly when Misao screamed with what seemed more like joy than sorrow. The shape shifter was jumping all over the place, happily hugging most of the creatures around her.

"Misao," said Megumi as she shook her head.

"I knew that he was going to choose a mate soon! Lord Aoshi is finally going to admit his love to me," said Misao as she clasped her hands together and seemed to zone out into a whole other world.

Tae and Tsubame only sweat dropped as they saw the love and excitement in her eyes. They didn't have the heart to tell her that what she thought was wrong, it would probably hurt her enough that she'd never love again.

"Misao…. Aoshi is mating with a half werewolf and half vampire," said Soujiro in a dead serious voice that caused the girl to stare at him confused.

"What?" asked Misao, her voice suddenly quiet and perplexed.

"He's chosen a mate that…." began Soujiro again, but was cut off when Misao's voice lifted to his ears. It was so soft, but it seemed as if she was yelling it directly in his ear.

"You mean he chose a half breed? But I thought that vampires and lycans weren't allowed to breed together," said Misao incredulously.

"They aren't," answered Megumi bitterly.

"Then why is there a half vampire and lycan in Kyoto about to wed the Leader of a werewolf colony?" asked Misao as she turned to face Soujiro confused. She still couldn't understand why the person that she loved since as long as she could remember was marrying a half breed that his kindred had labeled as a disgusting creature that should have never taken her first breath.

"Lycans, or werewolves as most call them, are odd when it comes to choosing a mate. I don't know why he's chosen such a creature as his mate, but I highly doubt that the Elders or Lord Battousai will ignore the fact that he's chosen such a woman to bare his children. I know for sure that Lord Battousai will be going to Kyoto for another reason, and even though he's a vampire, he is not going to take the intertwining of species lightly," comforted Soujiro as he looked at Misao's eyes that began to fill with unshed tears, which were dangerously threatening to fall.

Misao only turned away, unable to understand why her lord was going to marry a half breed. She had always loved Aoshi, had always dreamed that one day he would choose her as a mate even though she was a shape-shifter. The sudden news threatened to shatter her fragile heart, which refused to believe what she had just been told.

Lord Aoshi was always akin to following the old ways, and by marrying a half breed of vampire and lycan heritage, he was going to destroy his reputation. He was going to break the number one rule of the Old Code: "Thy shall never intertwine thy blood with thy enemy's."

Following the Old Code was a passage that proclaimed that all half breeds of vampire and lycan heritage would be killed, along with the couple that created the creature. However, this specific Old Code only applied to the vampires and lycans, there were no rules against the two species marrying _other_ species. The two just couldn't marry each other.

For as long as anyone could remember, vampires and werewolves have been against each other, each one fighting to be the dominant specie, for their chance of gaining complete power of the world. It was no wonder that the thought of a half breed of vampire and werewolf was so unimaginable, since the two species had such a large grudge that they couldn't even remain in the same place without going at each other's throats. Which was why the Akabeko, the place where all species ate together, was just as hated as it was loved.

The situation of Aoshi marrying a hybrid wasn't going to be put off lightly. There was no doubt that the Elders were going to make sure that the half breed was killed in public so that none of the others would dare think of getting together with one another.

"He does knows that the Elders are going to kill her, doesn't he?" asked Misao suddenly as she faced Soujiro and the others that suddenly fell silent from shock at what she was probably thinking.

"Aoshi knows the Old Code and lives by it, or use to," said Soujiro bitterly. He knew that one of his best friends was hurting and he felt bad that he couldn't help her.

Misao suddenly stood up with what looked more like a fake smile and walked out of the restaurant, followed by the bewildered Megumi.

Soujiro only sighed as he stood up as well. He had a feeling that his brother was going to want to talk to him. His brother had a tendency to find out things just as quickly as he did, maybe quicker.

"Put the bill on my tab, Tae. Have a good day you two," said Soujiro as he smiled at Tae and Tsubame and left just as quickly as the shape-shifters.

"Do you think Misao will be alright?" asked Tsubame as she watched Lord Soujiro leave.

"Knowing Misao, she's going to do everything in her power to stop that wedding. I just hope that she knows that she's doing," said Tae as she wiped Soujiro's table and went to fill the order of other customers.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru sat on the other side of the room from the dark diamond made weapons, her hands wrapped around her knees as she stared at the weapons. There was something about them that made her cringe, yet there was something else that drew her to them and them to her. It seemed that they were connected in a different way apart from the logical one, with them being created to kill her all. However, she didn't know a possible answer as to how else they were connected, she doubted that she would ever find out. She was going to destroy them after all or they her.

"Is staring at the weapons that are going to kill you entertaining?" said a dark mocking voice to her right.

She didn't have to look up to know that Battousai had returned from his breakfast. A shiver went down her spine as she realized that someone had died just a few minutes ago.

"Stand up, we're going to be leaving to Kyoto and then to my Black Castle," ordered Battousai as he walked over to the weapons and picked them up, placing the weapons away.

Kaoru did as she was told and before she knew it the diamond chains were back on her wrists. She turned toward Battousai with narrowed eyes, but said and thought nothing. She knew that he would just read her thoughts and she wasn't going to allow him to use them against her any more than he already has.

"I don't see why you don't just summon the weapons to you," said Kaoru suddenly as she looked at the floor.

"What do you mean?" questioned Battousai, appearing right before the sorceress.

"You can just summon the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell to you," said Kaoru as she stared right into his eyes grimly.

Battousai only looked at her, trying to determine if she were lying or not, and from what he saw, she obviously knew what she was talking about. Being an enemy of the weapons, it was only reasonable that the sorceress would know more about the weapons than anyone else.

Before he could question her further, the door slid open and in walked Soujiro with a stern expression upon his face.

"What is it?" asked Battousai as he turned toward his brother. He knew something was up when Soujiro didn't knock before he entered. Soujiro was always polite when he wasn't serious about something, but even then he was always smiling, but this time the smile had vanished.

"Shinomori has chosen a mate," said Soujiro as he slid the door close behind him as he stepped in.

"I already know that and I'm leaving for Kyoto right now," said Battousai, moving to leave, but stopping when his brother remained in the doorway.

"His mate is half lycan and half vampire," said Soujiro gravely as he stared into his sibling's face, but didn't meet his eyes.

"That's the Elders' business, not mine. I'm only going there to get what rightfully belongs to me," said Battousai, he had no interest in the Old Code, despite the fact that he followed it. The Old Code didn't really apply to him, nothing ever did.

"Battousai, you are part of the Elders," stated Soujiro through narrowed eyes. He didn't understand why his brother seemed to ignore the fact that the intertwining of lycan and vampire was a bad thing.

"I'm not a part of anything, Soujiro, I'm my own species," said Battousai as his amber eyes bored into Soujiro's.

The Tenken only fell silent, he knew that his brother was right, he was indeed his own species.

"Lycans and vampires have been at war from as far as anyone can remember and the mix of their species is against the Old Code because you're not suppose to breed with your enemies, but you aren't enemies if you can love and get together, are you?" asked Kaoru from her position, the two older vampires staring at her with raised eyebrows

"She's right, you know. The couple that created this half breed were obviously not enemies because they were in love, and enemies don't love each other," said Soujiro as he looked at his brother with a smile back on his face.

"So are you saying that this one code is just there to take up space? I doubt that Akuma wanted the species to get together, which is why he placed that in the Old Codes in the first place. We all know that Akuma didn't write this code in hopes that someone would figure it out and realize that he wanted the species to get along and be able to get together. If that were the case, he wouldn't have created the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell to kill off a certain magical species," said Battousai, his eyes never leaving Kaoru's.

Soujiro couldn't find a response to what his Lord had just said, for Akuma had written half of the Old Codes himself and was known to be just as evil, if not more, than the real Devil himself. The quote was probably indeed made so that none of the lycans and vampires would ever get together and taint the pure bloodlines as most would say.

"But they are the Weapons of Hell, not of Akuma," stated Kaoru defiantly as she returned Battousai's gaze.

"It was Akuma that traded his soul for those weapons, the weapons that were made to destroy you," said Battousai maliciously through narrowed eyes.

Soujiro suddenly understood why his brother was so protective over Kaoru, she was a sorceress.

Everyone knew that sorcerers and sorceresses had a connection to the weapons, so those whom had a sorcerer or sorceress to help them would be able to find the weapons faster. It also helped that these creatures knew magic that would be able to enhance one's chances of getting all of the weapons safely without the risk of being killed for having them.

However, Soujiro didn't understand why Battousai needed Kaoru by his side, especially since Battousai was immortal and was the strongest of all species. He didn't need a sorceress to help him find the weapons, so there had to be another reason as to why his brother was keeping Kaoru alive, besides the fact that she was the last of her kind and could help him in his search for the weapons.

"Don't get any ideas, Soujiro," said Battousai as he broke off his gaze with Kaoru and turned toward his blood kin.

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Soujiro with a bow. He wouldn't dare go against his brother and he had already said he wouldn't touch, hold, or drink from the sorceress.

"Leave the room. I'll take care of Aoshi when I get to Kyoto," said Battousai as he turned his back to his brother, facing the sorceress once again.

"Ye,s milord," said Soujiro as he bowed and made to leave the room.

"Don't tell a soul about what you've just heard, not even that wench in your bed," said Battousai darkly. He felt Soujiro's ki falter before rising in understanding before the vampire left the two alone.

"He knows," said Kaoru once the door slid close.

"I know that he does, but Soujiro isn't one to disobey orders. Now explain to me how I can summon the weapons," said Battousai as he stepped toward Kaoru so that he could easily look into her eyes and through her very soul.

"You already possess more than half the weapons, so you can easily summon the other three with the four that you have now," said Kaoru calmly as she looked into his eyes, her face void of all emotion.

"Explain to me how I'm suppose to summon the others with the ones I have now," ordered Battousai, his patience wearing thin once again. He hated it when people didn't get right to the point, it was as annoying as it was pointless.

"It can only be done by those with a pure heart," said Kaoru as her gaze pierced his own as he began to search her eyes in anger and disbelief.

"Don't speak unless what you have to say is beneficial to me," said Battousai as a clawed hand went around her throat; threatening to suffocate his prisoner.

"I never said it would be," said Kaoru, her voice more deadly than his own was.

The Dark Lord stepped back a bit in surprise as he lowered his clawed hands. It seems that she wasn't as weak as he thought she was and that she indeed was growing more confident by the minute.

Narrowing his eyes, he looked directly into her eyes and shockingly didn't find a hint of fear in them, but instead defiance.

Growling at her behavior, he unsheathed his katana and moved it directly to the left of her neck, so that it stuck to the wall and entrapped her.

"Learn your place, sorceress," said Battousai viciously.

"Where is my place?" asked Kaoru defiantly as she looked into his eyes.

Anger and rage boiling within him, he slapped her hard enough to throw her lithe form to the ground. He watched through slit eyes as she sat back up and moved a hand over her painfully sore left cheek, before glaring right back at him with burning sapphire eyes filled with fury, hate, and vengeance.

"Never speak to me like that again, wench," snapped Battousai as he suddenly appeared before her and lifted her up by her hair so that her face tilted enough to see his flaming amber eyes.

Kaoru growled in the back of her throat as she picked herself up, not realizing that her actions had affected the vampire lord in more than one way.

Battousai shut his eyes as he heard her enchanting voice soar through his ears and vibrate through his body, due to their blood connection the noise seemed to echo a hundred times more than its original volume. His eyes snapped open and he looked at Kaoru closely.

The sorceress tried to slap Battousai's hand from her face, but was unable to when her diamond chains grew shorter so that she wasn't be able to effectively move them.

"Let go of me!" shouted Kaoru as she tried to move her face away from his powerful hand.

Suddenly, Battousai did as he was told and began to chuckle as he turned away from her. With a snap of his fingers, her chains grew back to its original two feet apart.

"What the hell was that for?" yelled Kaoru in irritation as she glared at her captor through narrowed eyes.

"It seems that you've stayed in the same position staring at my weapons for too long," said Battousai with a smirk as he stared at her perplexed face.

"What?" questioned Kaoru, confused by his actions and words.

"My aura was surrounding the weapons, signaling to others that they are mine and not to be touched, but when exposed to my ki energy too long, it can cause one to think like me. You're the first to do so and not go insane from the power, which only happened because your body now holds my blood. Because of this exposure, my ki from the weapons have had enough time to call forth my blood so that your heart isn't pumping your blood type anymore, but mine. You're becoming more and more like me by the second," said Battousai as his amber eyes met her wide azure ones.

"No…. You're lying! I'm not going to become like you! I refuse to believe that I'll become a creature like you," hissed Kaoru as she shook her head and took a step back, her hands clenched together as her body shook in disbelief and horror. The thought of becoming one of the creatures that had killed most of her kind was mind boggling.

"No, I'm not. You can deny it as you wish, but you'll just get darker and darker as time goes by. You won't be able to stop it, not even with your magic," said Battousai as he snapped his fingers and allowed her hands their freedom again.

Kaoru glared at the man, her own blue magic swirling about her so that it seemed as if a blue web was trapping her in its strings. Suddenly, as if something snapped within her, her magic turned black and began to flicker red as her ki began to soar through the room, shaking the walls as her anger grew. Finally realizing what was happening, she stopped and dropped to her knees, shaking her head frantically, unable to comprehend what it was that she had just done. It was impossible for her take in that she was becoming like the Dark Lord himself--she refused to take it in.

"Why?" questioned Kaoru, tears pooling around her eyes.

"It wouldn't matter how far away you are from me anymore, I can always summon you by summoning my blood. You're basically a part of me, but don't get any wrong ideas, I'm not a part of you. You won't be fully like me and my kind until you're transformed, but it's not likely that you'll be changed into a vampire," said Battousai with a grin. He knew that it was close to impossible for her to be able to bite him, at least if he didn't allow it.

The sorceress fell silent as her mind registered what he was saying. She was his prisoner for life and there was no escape, even if she did manage to destroy the weapons, she was still going to be under his control. Her mind began to swirl with dark images of what might happen to her and what might happen with her forced to Battousai's side for the rest of her life. The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.

"You're going to have to live with it. We're leaving tonight once you manage to get yourself figured out and have learned your proper position," said Battousai calmly as he sat down against the wall, a smirk tugging at his lips as his eyes closed.

The vampire knew that if they left now, she was surely going to slow them down, and he'd rather get their faster with a later start than getting their slower with an early start. The vampire lord really didn't want to bother with the sorceress's issues and hear her complaints go through her mind as he traveled, it was best to get it over with than prolonging the inevitable.

**xXoXx**

Soujiro closed his eyes as he heard the whole conversation, his heart beating faster than ever as he slowly made his away to his chambers with his own barrier about him. He had to clear his mind and process the information that he had just overheard, but he still couldn't believe his ears.

He had felt the power from Kaoru, the same power that his brother had created long ago when he was angry. Soujiro shuddered to think what Battousai's ki was like now after so many years when he became infuriated.

Soujiro knew that his brother was compressing his ki, but he never thought that Battousai's ki would be so powerful. Kaoru's ki that he had just witnessed was just an inkling of Battousai's, how he knew that, he didn't even know himself. He just knew that someway and somehow he needed to get as much information as possible about the transfer of blood from a vampire to a sorceress, and why it was that Kaoru was now a part of Battousai, but he not her.

Clutching his swirling head, he opened his bedroom door and closed it behind him as he sat down at a small table where jasmine tea was already set for him.

Taking a cup into his hand, he realized that it was trembling for some reason.

Placing the round cup back down, he began to rub his temples with his hands. His brain began to pulse with all of the troubles and questions on his mind. He had to sort it out before he went insane.

"Is something wrong, dear?" asked Shura as she entered the room and saw Soujiro's paler than usual face.

Soujiro only looked up at his wife and smiled, hoping that she would understand and leave him be to think about everything that has happened in so short a time, a time that was considered short even to humans.

"I know that you don't like me around you," said Shura as she sat down in front of the vampire lord, averting her eyes from his.

"What are you talking about, koishii?" asked Soujiro a bit confused as he cocked his head toward her in confusion.

"You don't have to lie to me, Soujiro," said Shura seriously as her own chocolate eyes met his piercing azure ones that she had fallen for the day that she had met him so long ago.

"Who told you that I was lying to you?" questioned Soujiro as his eyes narrowed dangerously as his thoughts focused on her instead of the problems at hand.

"No one did, I just know that you're not only lying to me, you're lying to yourself," said Shura as her eyes fell on the table as she wiped invisible dust from the table before her with her right hand.

Soujiro only searched her face for some kind of clue, mentally cursing that he didn't have his brother's ability to read other's minds.

Sighing, he looked at his mate for over five centuries and could only smile at her weakly like he always did when he couldn't find words to say.

"I only wish to ask you one question before I leave you be, milord," said Shura as she looked back into his eyes with what seemed like hurt and sadness.

Lost for words at what he just saw in her eyes, he only returned her gaze gravely and nodded.

"Why did you choose me as your mate over 500 years ago?" asked Shura as she searched his eyes for an answer.

Soujiro only stared at her, her question catching him off guard as he tried to match up words and give her a straight answer without hurting her feelings more than he already had. He looked at her confused when she only sighed.

"You don't have to answer, I already know what you're going to say. I just wanted to know what you truly thought. I'm sorry for bothering you, milord," said the female vampire as she bowed to her husband and quickly left the room before he could say anything, her face emotionless.

"Why me?" asked Soujiro to no one in particular as he rubbed his temples and bent his head as his brain began to torment him once again.

**xXoXx**

"Misao, what are you doing?" asked Megumi once the two left the Akabeko.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to think," said Misao as she rubbed her hands together to make friction, causing an emerald glow to come from her hands.

"Are you using magic?" asked Megumi in shock as she watched her sister focus on her hands and head toward the woods at the same time, afraid that Misao might end up heading right into a tree.

"Not exactly, it's something that I learned from a friend when I was little. It takes a lot of ki to work it, but it's worth it," said Misao as she looked up at Megumi and grinned.

"What's it used for?" questioned Megumi curiously as she looked at the growing sphere in awe.

"It's used to find someone. You just have to think about the person and the energy that you create will spread out and act like lightning to find the person. Then it'll show us the person through our minds from the ki we gave to it," said Misao with a smile as she refocused her body in transferring energy into the green orb.

"Why would you want to…? Misao…. You're not planning to do what I think you're planning to do, are you?" asked Megumi as she shook her head at her smirking sister.

"Look, if Aoshi's going to take this girl as his mate, then she must be really pretty or very serious and all I want to do is see if she fits into any of those categories," said Misao innocently as her jade eyes fell back onto the circle of power.

"Uh huh. You only want to compare yourself to her and find out what she has that you don't to have Aoshi choose her as his wife and not you," said Megumi as she crossed her arms over her chest and stopped once they entered the edge of the forest.

"Shut up!" shouted Misao as she glared Megumi, who only rolled her eyes in response.

"You need to learn that not all things will go your way, weasel girl," said Megumi as she sighed and walked ahead as her sister narrowed her eyes at her in annoyance.

"I know that! But it still doesn't mean that I can't at least try and gain back Aoshi's love," said Misao.

"Oh please! You act like the icy lycan lord actually ever loved you in the first place. You know that the guy never looked at you that way," said Megumi as she threw up her hands in irritation.

"For your information, I happen to know that Lord Aoshi does like me, if not loves me! He's probably being forced to marry this half breed!"

"Stop exaggerating. By doing this you're merely wasting your energy. Why don't you just go to Kyoto and look at her in person instead of through a green ball of wasted ki? And you do realize that if you do get with that icicle, your offspring are going to be half breeds too, right?" asked Megumi sarcastically as she turned and faced her sister.

"Yes, I know, but the Old Code is only against half breeds as in half vampire and half werewolf," protested Misao as she moved her hands away so that the glowing sphere vanished from sight.

Shaking her head, Megumi only walked on toward their home, muttering about ignorant weasel girls.

"You know what, I think that I will go to Kyoto and see this half breed in person," said Misao as she stopped and placed her index finger to her chin as she thought about it for a bit.

"I just…. Never mind," said Megumi as she sighed, deciding to ignore her exasperating sister instead of putting some sense into her thick head.

"Well, come on, let's go to Kyoto!" yelled Misao as she grabbed Megumi's arm and made a race for the road.

"Can't we just get there by flying?" asked Megumi as she began to stumble upon the unpaved road.

"Oh yeah! We'd get there faster," said Misao as she let go of her sister and transformed into a sea green bird and flapped her wings energetically and flew south toward Kyoto.

Sighing, Megumi transformed and quickly followed Misao so she could stop Misao from making a fool of herself when she met Aoshi's mysterious chosen mate at the Aoiya.


	9. Half Breeds

Chapter NINE: **_Half Breeds_**

"Okashira, the word has been spread that you've chosen a half breed as your mate and I'm beginning to agree with what others have to say," said a man in a demon mask as he bowed to his the Leader of the Werewolves.

"Who or what I choose as my mate is my business and is none of your concern, Hannya," said the werewolf lord as he faced the other man, his trench coat flowing behind him as he turned to his followers, his icy cold stare daring them to speak up against him.

The occupants of the restaurant and training ground that was made into one, all stared at their Lord, but didn't dare speak up. Everyone in attendance was seated on the ground with a tray of tea and food before them. They had just been called into a meeting by their Okashira.

"I didn't ask you all here to question my actions. Is everyone here?" asked Aoshi as he looked around the room, his eyes going towards Hannya, Shikijou, Beshimi, Hyottoko, Okon, Omasu, Shiro, and Kuro.

"Where's Okina?" asked their Okashira as he looked around the room twice, not seeing the older werewolf anywhere.

"He refused to come to the meeting ,Okashira," said Okon, her long black hair flowing over her shoulders as her blue bandana circled her head like Omasu, Shiro, and Kuro.

"Why not?" asked the werewolf as he turned to the younger ones.

"He said that he…. He refused to accept a leader that went against the Old Code," said Omasu in a low whisper, her hair placed up in a bun as she looked up at her leader.

"The Old Code doesn't state that I can't marry a half breed," stated their leader.

"But it does, it states that you will not mix your blood with an enemy and that creature that you have in your room has the blood of our enemy, Shinomori Aoshi," said a voice from the stairs.

An older lycan stepped into the room, the disappointment in his eyes evident as he made his way forward.

"Then the Elders are our enemies, for some of them too have the blood of vampires. Why are we following the rules made by the enemy?" stated Aoshi as he narrowed his blue depths at the older man.

"Those rules vary from species to species, but the species all agreed on that one rule: 'Thy shall never intertwine thy blood with thy enemy's.' What has happened to you Aoshi? You use to obey the Old Code, yet now you insist on becoming an outcast to all creatures. Your own kind will not support you if you go through with this," warned Okina as he glared at the taller man dangerously.

The room fell silent as the other werewolves in the room looked toward the ground, not wanting to answer the unasked question that lingered in the air. They were all split up in deciding whether to remain loyal to their leader of nearly two centuries or to choose another lord that wouldn't go against the Old Code. Anyone who went against the Old Code was a traitor to their species and by following the traitor they would be shunned as well. It was a crime to go against the Law of the Species as the older creatures called it.

"Well, I'll leave you to think about it. Oh, and I forgot to mention, although you might not care because you obviously don't care about anything now, _Okashira_," said Okina darkly as he moved back toward the stairway.

"What is it, Okina?" asked Aoshi as he looked toward the werewolf's back.

"Lord Battousai should be coming here soon, and because he is still an Elder, I expect you to at least be respectful to the immortal," said Okina as he turned and looked at the group of shocked werewolves.

"I knew that he was coming," said Aoshi calmly as he turned away and faced the only window in the room.

"Well, I hope that you realize that he can kill you and that future mate of yours if you disobey him. I advise you not to cause the Oniwanbanshuu to go down with you," said Okina bitterly as he walked down the stairs.

"Okashira, do you want us to prepare for Lord Battousai's stay?" asked Kuro.

"You know that Battousai only darkens any place that you decorate. Send Tomoe to me," ordered Aoshi.

"Lady Yukishiro?" asked Shiro.

"Yes, bring my future mate to me."

**xXoXx**

"Get up," snarled Battousai as he stood up with his weapons hanging from his hips and walked over to Kaoru, who only sat staring at the wall.

Reluctantly, the sorceress stood up, her eyes cleared over like glass as she looked at the vampire. She still couldn't register the fact that she was becoming more and more like the Dark Prince, but the surge of shadow energy that coursed through her mind wouldn't allow her to have any hope that she was still a full fledge sorceress.

"Shield your thoughts," snapped Battousai as he walked toward the door and slammed the door open as he walked out through the halls, the walls moving away from him due to the enormous amount of power that he was letting out.

Kaoru glided behind him, her feet not evening touching the floor as she followed him. Her face was pale and her eyes were such a dark blue that it almost seemed black. She was like a walking, living, breathing ghost. She kept her hood and head down as she followed the man, she didn't have to use any of her power since the blood that connected them was pulling her to him.

"Leaving?" asked Soujiro as he walked out of his room and happened to run into his brother and the man's traveling companion, who didn't look so well.

"Indeed. Are you going to go to Kyoto as well, Soujiro, as one of the Elders?" asked Battousai as he looked at the other vampire, who was just a few years younger than himself, but still legible as an Elder.

"I'll come with my own mate, but for now she's not in the mood," said Soujiro with a smile.

"Your mate is suppose to follow you, not you her," stated Battousai as his eyes narrowed.

"I know, but Shura hasn't asked for anything since she's been my mate. It's the least that I can do," said Soujiro, smiling as usual.

Battousai only looked at his brother in annoyance before quickly vanishing and leaving the entire palace.

"Have a fun time, Miss Kaoru," said Soujiro as he bowed to the sorceress, who looked at him with a blank expression before vanishing after Battousai.

"Something has happened to her," noted Soujiro to himself as he looked down the hallway that the two had gone through without a sound. It seemed as if all of the life had been sucked out of the sorceress, yet that unforgettable aura was still about her, just that now it was harder to tell. _'What has happened to you, sorceress?'_

**xXoXx**

"I say that we turn to cats and look in the half breed's window," said Misao as she and Megumi landed on top of a building across from the Oniwanbanshuu restaurant, the Aoiya, as birds.

"Why don't we just go in, Misao? I mean the werewolves in there know us," said Megumi as she spread her violet wings into the sky and pecked her aching wings with her beak.

"But I want to see what the girl looks like!" said Misao as she pecked at Megumi to stop with her ministration and pay attention to her.

"We can just go in there and see," said Megumi as she hopped away from Misao so that she wouldn't get hurt anymore.

Before Misao could protest, the purple bird flapped her wings, and using a wind current, managed to glide swiftly down and land on the rooftop of the Aoiya.

"Megumi!" hissed Misao as she quickly followed her older sibling's movements and flew down next to her.

"You can't see her from over there! We're going to have to keep quiet and change into animals that she won't squash or kill," said Megumi as she hopped closer to the closest window.

Misao only smiled at her and followed suit.

"My Lord, I think that you should reconsider this proposal! If the Elders come here, then we won't be able to stop them! We're not powerful enough to prevent them from killing us all for going against the Law. Okashira, please reconsider and think about this. What's one girl, a half breed at that, to more than over 1,000 lives? Your followers are going to die and the Oniwanbanshuu are all over Japan. Do you really want to lose that many people just for one creature?" asked the voice of Shikijou.

The two shape-shifters stared at each other before turning their full attention to the lycans within the room, noting the large tension in the room and how it was constantly growing as the arguments resumed.

"This is my choice, you can either follow me, or you can leave," said Aoshi, his voice icy and cold.

"You know that I am loyal, but what if the other lycans revolt?" asked Shikijou.

The two shape-shifters flew to the windowsill and watched as the lycans began to argue back and forth.

"My Lord, what's so important about this half lycan and half vampire woman? We've seen her and there's nothing unique about her, it's just that she's paler than us because of her vampire blood," said Beshimi from his seat.

"That's none of your business," said Aoshi as he turned to the male occupants of the room, the females had gone to get his future mate, the one he was fighting for.

"It is our business if we're going to have to fight for her! Our lives are at stake here and I refuse to fight for someone unless they are worthy of my loyalty," said Hannya as he stood up.

"Then are you saying that you are no longer loyal to me?" asked Aoshi coldly as he glared at the man.

"I am not saying that, what I'm saying is that I don't want to fight unless it is absolutely necessary," said Hannya, rephrasing his words in hopes of calming the other werewolf down.

"Fighting for her is necessary. If you are against her, then you are against me," snapped Aoshi as he turned away so that his trench coat swept across Hannya's face.

Megumi chirped and turned to look at her sister, but crowed when she realized that her younger sibling had flown away. As she lifted her wings to fly after her, she stopped when she saw a lady walk up the stairs toward the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu.

The half breed had long black hair that was neatly placed up in a bun, her deep eyes held no spirit as she smiled at her lord. She was clothed in a nice white kimono and it seemed as if the two were meant for each other, both being cold, serious, and not a hint of lively energy in them.

'_There's something different about her….' _Thought Megumi as she looked at the girl, it wasn't that she was diverse, species wise, it was something more original and unique.

"You called me, milord?" asked the half breed as she bowed to Aoshi.

"My men doubt you being worthy enough for me. Why don't you show them, Tomoe?" asked Aoshi as he turned to face her when Okon and Omasu came up from behind her.

Tomoe only nodded as she closed her eyes and moved her hands as if in prayer.

Megumi screeched as she flew away from the white glowing room and shocked lycans, flapping her wings vigorously as she tried her best to catch up with Misao. She now knew why Lord Aoshi wanted Tomoe to be his mate. The woman wasn't just a half breed of vampire and lycan, someone had taught her a few magic tricks of sorcerers and sorceresses. The girl was going to be able to find the Seven Weapons of Hell, but unlike a real sorceress, she would only be able to see where the weapons were in a limited distance.

She flew off as the laugh of the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu flooded out of the room.

**xXoXx**

A shiver went down Kaoru's spine as she landed back on her feet, her senses alert as she looked toward the center of Kyoto. Her mind began to race as she tried to figure out what it was that had grabbed her attention in the first place. She felt a shockwave go through her as another's magical energy began to get closer to her. As if someone else had taken over, her eyes turned completely blue as a shield surrounded her to hide her magic from whomever it was that was trying to find her. Her body began to rise so that the magic that was trying to get to her wouldn't be able to get her from the ground.

She could feel her shield go black when Battousai's blood took affect on her body and mind as it mixed with her magic, the mixture creating a large black shield that managed to bounce back the white magic, sending it back to its owner.

"I advise you to become less dependent on my blood before you go insane, or you'll be lusting for blood and begin killing my victims," snapped Battousai's dark voice as he watched the girl return to earth.

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Kaoru sarcastically as her eyes became their normal shade of blue.

"Then let's get going," said Battousai as he led the way.

"You don't care about who it was that tried to find me?" asked Kaoru as she ran to catch up to the vampire.

"It's that half breed," stated Battousai as if he had known it from the beginning that the hybrid knew a few magic tricks.

"But she's not a…." began Kaoru, but was stopped by her captor.

"She learned it from another, now pick up the pace before I leave you to fend for yourself in the city of Kyoto, which is filled with vampires that are willing to drink your blood and werewolves that will gladly tear you to pieces," threatened Battousai, his voice revealing sincerity.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the vampire before racing after the man. At the pace that he was pushing them, they'd be in Kyoto in a few minutes, if not less.

**xXoXx**

"Misao! Stop!" shouted Megumi as she tried to catch up with the other shape shifter, still a bit shocked about what she had just learned.

Megumi sighed in relief as Misao began to descend onto the building top of another restaurant that was made for vampires on the other side of the city from the Aoiya.

"You could have waited for me! Didn't you hear me crying for you to stop?" asked Megumi as she transformed back into her original form and followed her sister to the edge of the roof so that they could look down at the civilians of Kyoto.

"What are you talking about? All I heard was that stupid lycan admitting his damn love to that half breed creature!" shouted Misao as she glared at Megumi, but only turned her head another way so that Megumi couldn't see the spheres that were forming in her eyes.

"Misao…. I know that this must be hard for you, but you have to realize that Aoshi isn't the only one you could ever love. I mean, the guy was like an icicle from the very beginning!" encouraged Megumi as she patted Misao's back, trying to get her to feel better.

Misao only began to shake as her hands balled into fists as she closed her eyes tightly. Unwanted tears flowed out of her eyes and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. She wasn't going to cry, there was no point in crying over the past. What was done was done, she would move on!

"After all, the guy doesn't have any emotions for anyone. The only reason that he even wants to marry Tomoe is because she knows some magic that benefits him," began Megumi, but stopped when she felt herself being shaken by the elbows by Misao.

"What did you just say? He doesn't feel anything for that half breed?" asked Misao hopefully as she held onto her sister's arms.

"If you'd stop shaking me, I'll tell you," said Megumi, causing Misao to quickly let her go.

"Does he love her?" asked Misao, the tears drying as she waited for an answer.

"Tomoe, his future mate, knows some magic like a sorceress, and because she does, she'll be able to see the Seven Weapons of Hell, but only at a distinct distance. Though I wonder who taught her," said Megumi, but after she said the first sentence Misao had begun to smile as her mind began to think and process the information.

"Are you listening to me?" asked Megumi as she realized that Misao had spaced out.

"The only reason that he wants to marry her is for her ability to see where the weapons are and Lord Aoshi has always wanted those weapons. He doesn't love her, which means that I still have a chance!" said Misao happily as her balled fist came into her other hand in determination. Her jade eyes sparkled as she began to think of a way to get Aoshi to forget about the half breed and come back to her.

"Misao…. The guy is using her…. What makes you think that he won't use you?" asked Megumi as she only shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's because he'll love… no he already loves me! That half breed is nothing more than a tool to help him get the weapons! His love for me is true and he would never use me like that. Tomoe isn't the only one that knows magic! He'll surely admit his deep devotion and love to me once I show him that I'm just as good as and better than that half breed!" said Misao as her brain began to think about all the ways that she'd be able to pull something off so that she'd become Aoshi's mate.

"Misao, he's just going to use you as well. I don't want you to get hurt, emotionally or physically. That creep is just going to use Tomoe to get the weapons and then dispose her, and that'll happen to you too if you let him have you," said Megumi as she grabbed Misao's shoulders and forced her to look into her black eyes.

"You're just jealous that you can't find anyone," snapped Misao angrily as she slapped Megumi's hand away from her.

"You've become so obsessed with getting him that you've gone mad! Just think about it, Misao! The chances that Aoshi is going to admit, or even love you for that matter, is the same chances that Battousai will allow anyone to defeat him," said Megumi as she looked at her sister seriously.

"My love for Lord Aoshi will never fade and I will never give up! I will make him confess his love for me, one way or another," said Misao as she clenched her fists to her chest in determination, her eyes still glistening like the stars in the sky.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" said Megumi as she turned to face the sun and vanished from view.

**xXoXx**

"She might have some magic, but she's not strong enough to find the real sorceress," said Hannya as he watched the white magic that emitted from Tomoe return to her. She would have been knocked over if Aoshi hadn't caught her in his arms before she fell.

The other members of the Oniwanbanshuu all rushed over to the girl to find out what happened, each one finally understanding why Aoshi was so willing to give up his position for the girl. If she could find the Seven Weapons of Hell, then Lord Aoshi will be the strongest creature alive and the others would have to accept him for marrying a half breed. But if the girl could find the real sorceress, then they could find the weapons for sure.

"What happened?" asked Aoshi as he helped Tomoe to her feet.

"I found her magic, but she shielded her magic before I could find the exact coordinates with my own magic," said Tomoe, her eyes reflecting her apologies for not being able to find the girl.

"It's alright, you've helped me find her before, and I know you can do it again. She's gotten older, so it's only natural that her powers have grown as well," said Aoshi as he moved her toward a cushion near a table with food.

"Milord, I felt another power near her. It was incredible, the creature could easily hide its magic, yet it allowed me to feel it. Whatever was beside her was much more powerful than her," said Tomoe as she sat down and looked at Aoshi.

"What creature could be that strong as to have more magic than the last sorceress? We all know that the Kamiyas are all dead, save one, so therefore, what Tomoe is saying is that there's someone with more magic than the last Kamiya?" asked Shikijou as he turned toward the window and noted that there was no moon in the sky tonight.

The stars were covered by the clouds that decided to darken the night, the view causing a shiver to run down the ninja's spine.

Everyone in the room knew that something was wrong in the air when the wind didn't blow. Something was definitely wrong if they couldn't hear vampires yelling and arguing with the lycans. Their suspicious were confirmed when the noise from the creatures that usually prowled the night for scraps of meat weren't heard. All was silent as if awaiting for the world to unfreeze and begin again.

"Is it me, or did it just get colder?" asked Kuro as he rubbed his hands together to get heat to return to his numb hands.

"No, they're coming," whispered Tomoe, but before she could stand the candle in the room blew out, rendering the occupants of the room to all stop and look around for an enemy.

"This isn't funny, Okina! Bring us some more candles," yelled Omasu as she began to shiver, the air beginning to freeze enough so that she was able to see her breath when she spoke.

"I'm not doing it, I've been down here drinking my tea," shouted Okina as he walked up the stairs to show them that he had nothing to do with the blackout of the room.

"I'm disappointed. You lycans use to catch on so much faster," said a voice that was colder than what they were feeling, the words mocking and dark.

"Whose there?" asked Shiro as he looked through the room and snapped his head to the side when he saw a movement from the window. Even his keen werewolf eyes weren't able to see through the darkened room. Someone was obviously making the room darker than it was suppose to be.

"It's him," whispered Tomoe, her vampire half taking control as she felt the presence of another vampire within the room, her hand holding onto Aoshi's trench coat as the Okashira scanned the room, but still couldn't find the intruder.

"Show yourself, we know that you're the one causing all of this," ordered Aoshi as he looked around the room a second time.

The werewolves shielded their eyes when the candles suddenly lit up, but this time it wasn't the normal red flames, but black ones instead. They all stared as their eyes adjusted and saw two figures in the center of the room, the smaller one standing to the side and behind the one that was emitting the dark aura.

"Lord Battousai," said Okina as he bowed to the vampire out of respect, the other members just staring at the man in shock, each one surprised that someone like himself would be present before them.

"You should learn to show respect to your elders," said the vampire as he snapped his fingers, causing all the occupants that refused to bow to drop to the ground on all fours.

"What are you doing here, Battousai?" asked Aoshi as he used all of his power to stand up, but only managed to get on both knees.

As he looked up, he saw that the person standing beside Battousai was a girl. It was then that he realized that the other power that Tomoe had felt was from Battousai. He knew, the moment he was able to see her completely, that the girl before him was the last of the Kamiyas, the sorceress that he had almost killed all those years ago. He could never forget her piercing, sapphire eyes that held more than just innocence.

His mind began to whirl as he tried to figure out how Battousai had learned such powerful dark magic, but he also knew that even if the vampire learned all the magic in the world he still wouldn't be able to find the weapons faster than the full fledged sorceress behind him. This sorceress was the only one who could call for the weapons and bring out their darkest power, for when the weapons were near the creatures they were created to kill they became stronger so that they can destroy the creatures.

Aoshi smirked inwardly, even if Battousai was immortal, when it came to finding the items alone, they were on the same page. Whoever got all the weapons first was going to be the most powerful.

"I'm here to congratulate you on choosing a mate, Aoshi. After all, you are the Leader of the Lycans. As an Elder, I must pay my respects," said Battousai sarcastically as he looked at the werewolf with amber slit eyes.

"Who is that behind you then?" asked Aoshi as he stood up after feeling the vampire release him and his men from his powerful hold.

Aoshi's eyes met scared azure ones, and everyone was taken aback when the girl moved behind the vampire so that they couldn't see her, and with the dim light, it was difficult for the other lycans to even make out Battousai.

Kaoru stood behind Battousai as she met those icy eyes, memories of her near death a year ago flooding her mind as she looked at him. She would be dead right now if she hadn't fallen into the river and been saved by Shinta.

She was afraid of the lycan, dead terrified because he reminded her of her past, her only weakness. Even though she knew that hiding behind Battousai was weak--and that she shouldn't show that she was scared--she also knew that behind Battousai no one would be able to tell. She was taught that the safest place was inside or behind the most dangerous place, because no matter what happened, no one in their right mind would risk their life in going after you and facing the danger. It also helped that Battousai was immortal and wouldn't allow anyone to take his blood, it meant that she was safe and concealed.

"She is none of your concern, Aoshi," said Battousai darkly as his eyes turned to deadly rubies, the sight of them causing the other, lesser lycans to gulp. He had heard Kaoru's thoughts, had seen her memories and learned that Aoshi had taken her blood once before, and _no one_ took her blood, but himself: past, present, or future.

"My Lord, we didn't expect you to come here so soon," said Okina apologetically to the older creature. Even though he did look older than the Prince of the Night, Okina was at least a few centuries younger.

"But you expected me to come nonetheless," stated Battousai as he looked at the aged werewolf.

"Why don't you show yourself, sorceress?" asked Tomoe before Okina could explain to His Highness, gaining her a glare from the older werewolf and a deadly stare from the others.

Ignoring the looks that she were given, she looked over Battousai to where she knew that the owner of the magic of the last sorceress stood.

"Quite the defiant creature, aren't you, half breed?" asked the Dark Lord as his eyes looked the girl over.

"I might be a half breed, but I am not defiant. I know my position and my duty," said Tomoe as she stood completely up and looked at Battousai right in the eye.

"Then don't talk back," snapped Battousai, his voice more venomous than before. There was something about the girl that he didn't like and he knew that it was more than just her being a damn half breed.

"I have the right to talk to a fellow magic wielder," said Tomoe as bravely as she could, but her voice cracked when Battousai's eyes grew blood red.

"You're talking to one right now," said Battousai as his eyes flashed with amusement as he saw her face twist into shock.

"She wants to talk to a sorceress though," said a silent and musical voice from behind the dark figure.

Eyes moving to the source of the sound, the lycans all felt a bit comforted as they realized that there was a girl with the Battousai, and from the way that she felt scared they knew that she wouldn't cause them any trouble. She looked rather adorable when she walked out from behind Battousai, her long lavender hair cascading down her back and front so that her face looked rounder. The only person that they had to watch out for was the vampire himself, and they knew that as long as they kept their distance and were respectful, the Dark Lord wouldn't harm them.

"You're a Kamiya, aren't you?" asked Tomoe as she smiled at the girl politely.

"Yes," answered Kaoru. She had a feeling that everyone already knew who she was from the thoughts that were swarming in her head due to Battousai's blood that was now flowed so abundantly through her.

"Why are you working for…" began Tomoe, but was shut up when the feel of metal was placed near her neck, the blade pulsing black from the dark energy that was being emitted from it.

"You should learn to keep your mouth shut," snapped the owner of the dark sword.

The other lycans stared at the weapon in the vampire's hand. It was definitely one of the Seven Weapons of Hell. The sword seemed to sing with power as its owner moved the sword closer to his victim's neck. They all held their breath as they watched the blood trickle down the half breed's neck, gleaming on the blade's surface as it slowly dripped to the floor.

Kaoru stared as she watched the girl stand perfectly still, watched as the vampire's glare moved to the blood. She began to shudder at the thought of the vampire drinking the blood of another before her. Her eyes snapped open when she heard Battousai chuckle.

"I wouldn't drink the tainted blood of your kind even if you were the last person on this damned planet. I won't give you the honor of being my victim," said Battousai as he sheathed his katana after flicking the blood off the blade with a swift flick of his wrist.

The sorceress watched as the half vampire and half werewolf wiped the blood away and fell back in silence, her indigo eyes looking at the vampire questioningly. The man must have had more control than she thought, for when a vampire smelt blood, there was no stopping them from getting their fill unless they're killed and Battousai would never be killed. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered how she was once and still was his victim, it wasn't at all an honor in her mind.

"You should learn to tame your mate, Aoshi," hissed Battousai as he glared at the enraged werewolf, who obviously didn't appreciate the vampire causing his woman to bleed.

Battousai's eyes settled to a molten gold as he looked at Okina who only nodded before leaving to do the silent request.

"The wedding will be postponed until the other Elders arrive," said Battousai, his tone leaving no room for arguments whatsoever.

"I guess that as they arrive they'll be staying here?" asked Beshimi as he bowed to Battousai, not wanting to make the same mistake twice.

"You're catching on," said Battousai with a smirk, enjoying how the lycans had to suppress their anger from the way he was toying with them.

"There's another reason why that they're all coming here, isn't there? I doubt that the Elders would really care about who I married to even notice my wedding," said Aoshi bitterly as he looked at Battousai straight in the eyes.

"You're the leader of your pack, you should know what's going on within and outside of it. If you cannot, then you don't deserve your position," said Battousai as he turned around and faced the silent Kamiya.

"But I am not an Elder, so I do not know what you're planning, and if you're going to stay in my…." began Aoshi, but was silenced when a cough from the stairs was heard, signaling that Okina had returned.

"The rooms are set up as usual, milord, and the main room on the first floor is being cleaned and polished as we speak. Shall I show the lady to her room now?" asked Okina politely, giving a stern look to the others in the room to not get into any more trouble.

"She stays with me at all times," said Battousai, making a clear point right then and there.

"Even at the…" began Okina, but only nodded when he saw the vampire's eyes flicker red and then back to gold.

"While I'm here, no one is to bother me or my sorceress until that day ," said Battousai as he looked from face to face, making sure that everyone in the room understood.

"The servants will be serving you as they did all those centuries ago, do you wish for the same…" started Okina, but stopped when Kaoru suddenly spoke up softly.

"Do you have Jasmine Tea?" asked Kaoru as she bowed to the man, feeling a bit embarrassed at having to bother the older creature.

Okina was a bit taken aback and looked at Battousai on what to do, but only got a blank stare as the vampire kept his eyes fixated on Kaoru's face.

"I'll go get it," said Omasu as she quickly bowed toward Battousai before racing down the stairs to get what was asked for.

The others fell silent as they waited for the tea, each one trying to figure out why Battousai was acting the way he was toward the girl._'What are you doing?' _Asked Battousai, his voice echoed through her mind from his telekinesis as he looked at the teenager questioningly.

'_I'm just a bit thirsty.' _Said Kaoru as she turned to face the man, her eyes meeting his own innocently._'Interrupting an older creature why they're talking isn't honorable and aren't you all about honor?' _Questioned Battousai mockingly._'You would have done the same thing, and like you said earlier, I'm becoming just like you, so I get to do what you do.' _Kaoru only smirked inwardly as the vampire raised an amused brow at her.

"Is something the matter my Lord?" asked Okina, voicing the question that the others had as they witnessed the scene before them.

"Not at all. One more thing, before any of you decide to persuade her to help you in getting the weapons, I'll tell you all know right now that Kaoru is in my control, and I'll know what happens to her at any time. Touch or even talk to her inappropriately and your head will belong to me," warned Battousai, his voice chilling enough to freeze them to their spots.

"I have the tea!" shouted Omasu as she walked up the stairs with one tea pot and a nice blue cup in either hand, but quickly fell silent as she realized the tension in the room.

Kaoru only nodded to the girl before taking the cup, watching as the burning liquid was poured into the cup.

Nodding in thanks, Kaoru took a whiff of the concoction before moving the cup to her lips.

Battousai watched as his sorceress suddenly became hesitant in drinking the tea.

"Is something wrong? Do you want me to add more jasmine flowers?" asked Omasu as she saw the hesitation in Kaoru's eyes.

The sorceress only shook her head and moved the cup so that she was able to see the golden liquid in the dark room.

Battousai looked at the cup before taking it from her hands and taking a whiff of the cup as well, his eyes turning a deadly red as he turned toward Kaoru with narrowed eyes.

"It's my drink," said Kaoru before she snatched the cup from his claws and downed nearly half the cup before Battousai knocked the cup out of her hands, the ringing of the cup shattering echoing through the room.

"Was there something wrong with the drink?" asked Omasu confused.

Kaoru only smiled weakly, blood trickling from her lips, causing the werewolf's eyes to widen in shock and drop the pot of tea on the floor.

The Dark Lord glared at the sorceress before picking up the girl bridal style and vanished from sight.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Shikijou as he looked at the other occupants confused.

"I don't know, but Lord Battousai didn't look at all happy," said Okon.

"What was in the drink, Omasu?" asked Beshimi as they all stared at her.

"It was Jasmine Tea, I even tried it and nothing like that happened to me," said Omas, shivering from the thought of what the vampire was going to do with her once he took care of the sorceress.

"It wasn't the tea that caused her to bleed," said Tomoe, causing the others to look at her as she crouched down to where the tea had spilt from Kaoru's tea cup.

"She looked like she wanted to cough up blood," said Hannya as he looked at the stairs, trying to figure out why she was so happy when she clearly looked as if she were poisoned.

"She did," said Tomoe as she bent down and examined the spilt drink.

The lycans all turned toward the half breed, wanting an explanation.

"Look at the jasmine flowers," said Tomoe, pointing a delicate finger at one.

"They're red... But when I poured it they were black," said Omasu, her eyes widening.

"She poisoned it herself? But why?" Beshimi asked as he picked one up, quickly dropping it onto the floor when it threatened to melt his skin off.

"I don't know, but I'll bet you that it had to do with Lord Battousai," said Tomoe as she stood up.

"What?" asked Kuro as he stared at the half breed, bewildered from her theory.

"She was smiling when she was poisoned and her eyes matched it. The sorceress obviously hates the vampire as much as others," said Aoshi as he remembered the look on both the vampire and girl when she began to lose blood.

The creatures in the room all looked at each other before staring down the stairs to where they knew the two magical beings were.


	10. What One Mustn't Touch

Chapter TEN:** _What One Mustn't Touch _**

Battousai's ki flared as the shoji that separated him from the room and outside slammed open from the amount of power that he was emitting, his anger easily known to all the occupants in the building as his arms tightened around the unconscious woman in his arms.

Narrowing his eyes, he watched as his own blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, the acid from the poison trickling to the floor and causing the wood to melt away from the toxins that were leaving her body.

Closing the door behind him using his ki, the Dark Lord placed the girl on the black futon and forced her to wake up before she chocked on the blood.

Watching with amber slits as the girl moved her head to the side of the futon, he stood up and closed his eyes as Kaoru coughed up the rest of the poison that she had placed in her cup using her own magic. The venom within the drink caused the hardwood floor of the room to sizzle and melt away into the ground. However, the poison was unable to damage her body from the inside due to all of the magic and dark ki that was inside of her. If she were any normal person, she would have died the moment the poison went inside of her.

"You're a pathetic fool! You knew that my blood would clear the poison out of your body, so why then did you poison yourself? Were you hoping to rid yourself of my blood? You know that your heart isn't beating your own blood anymore," hissed Battousai as he watched her body grow limp and her face pale.

"Whoever said...that I was trying...to clear my entire body of your blood?" asked Kaoru as she looked up at Battousai with a triumphant grin, her lips coated in blood as she revealed red stained teeth that seemed more like fangs from her dark stare.

Battousai knelt down to her level and held her neck tightly in one hand, leaving only enough room for the girl to breathe through rigid breaths, which resulted in the sorceress trying to desperately gasp for air.

"Then what were your intentions?" asked the vampire through gritted teeth, his patience growing thin.

"To get rid of most of your blood..." answered Kaoru faintly from her lack of oxygen and the after affects of the poison that were slowly catching up to her.

"So you go and poison yourself, thinking that if you do it enough you'll get rid of all my blood? Well, then you're more of a fool than I thought," said the dark figure as he threw her to the futon, the girl's hair covering her face from the rough throw.

"If it means lessening my chances of becoming a monster like you, then I'll be willing to poison myself again," said Kaoru as her blue eyes met molten amber ones.

Battousai narrowed his eyes as he finally realized her real intentions. The girl knew that she couldn't get rid of all his blood, but if she managed to get rid of most of it then she'd be able to control herself on her own standards.

An amused look crossed his features as he looked at the girl before him, she was more intelligent than he suspected and also a lot braver than most of the powerful vampires that he had known. She was willing to risk her life to make sure that she didn't fall into the darkness and become like him. Battousai grinned then. She was going to be entertaining to break and tame.

"Before you decide to do that again, let me tell you something," said Battousai as his masculine body suddenly appeared before her and brought Kaoru to her legs with his powerful hands around her waist.

Kaoru tried to pull away from the vampire, but before she could do anything her breath was knocked out of her lithe body as she felt her limbs being crushed to the creature before her, forcing her to move her head up so that her icy blue eyes met flaming gold ones.

"I'm not going to allow anyone but me to take blood out of your body, not even yourself," whispered Battousai into her ear, the words echoing through her body.

Despite the heat emitting from the vampire's desired filled eyes, Kaoru felt herself shiver from his words. She shuddered as a clawed-hand moved to push lavender locks away from her face in a mock-gentle way.

Feeling something smooth under her chin, Kaoru opened her eyes, which had unconsciously drooped close. She gasped when she was met by steel blue eyes instead of golden ones. Her mind went blank as the vampire before her slowly began to shift to the image of another, the one that she had never forgotten, the one she had engraved into her heart. She could feel herself going unconscious as her mind flooded with the images of the one that had saved her a year before, the vision of the vampire that she still loved. She wanted so badly for him to be with her that she found herself becomingly willingly blind from the truth. To her, there was no Battousai, only Shinta, who had finally returned to her to make up for the promise that he had broken.

"Kaoru..." began Battousai as he saw the glazed look in her eyes.

"Shinta..." whispered Kaoru as she moved closer to him so that their noses touched, making the unsuspecting creature back away in confusion. She was calling him by that name again.

Battousai's eyes narrowed into slits, wondering why the hell she was calling him by another name. But there was something about that name that was familiar, but he couldn't quite put his fang on it. No matter how hard he tried to penetrate her mental barriers and get to her memory involving that name, he couldn't. It was as if his own mind refused to go that far into her personal life. There was some type of barrier around her memory and it confused him as to why it was just that one memory he couldn't reach.

Holding onto Kaoru's shoulder as she stepped closer to him, Battousai had to try his best not to slap her awake when he realized that she was in a dazed form. She was obviously hallucinating, which often occurred after one has just recovered from a poisoning, especially from a poison that is powerful enough to kill a normal creature with just half a cup in their system.

"Don't leave me," pleaded Kaoru, her voice trembling as her body grew lifeless and fell into the vampire's arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, pressing her body closer to his.

Unsure of how to react to her actions, the Dark Lord was just about to throw her on the ground when soft lips touched his neck, his sensitive ears allowing him to hear the mumbled words that the girl was saying.

"Please don't break your promise," said the sorceress as she moved her forehead to his own and looked into his now golden, moonlight-like eyes, her mind still not realizing that the man's eyes weren't the same as the one she was referring to.

The vampire only looked at her in irritation. She wasn't thinking about him, she was thinking about another, and he wasn't going to just stand around and allow her to think of him as a worthless being instead of the powerful lord that he really was.

He was about to shake her awake with a shock of his ki when his eyes slightly widened as bloody lips met his own. The taste of blood heightened his senses as his instincts took over and calloused hands moved behind her head and pulled her in for a deeper kiss, his tongue searching her mouth for the remaining blood that was there, the poison vanishing from the blood as his dark ki cleansed it.

Pulling away when he realized that the sorceress needed air, the Prince of all vampires moved his head into her lavender locks as the intoxicating smell of roses and nature filled his nostrils, sending all logic out of his mind as lustful instincts took over and demanded that he claimed the being before him.

Groaning when Kaoru's body molded into his own perfectly, he clenched his fists as he tried to contain himself.

"Battousai..." the word soaring through his mind as he looked down at her, questioning if she had actually said his name, but doubted that his hearing was playing with him.

Shutting his eyes tightly as his mind replayed the sound that she made when she called out for him, he tried to control his thoughts, but the body that fit perfectly within his was making it difficult.

Eyes shining red with lust and yearning for the blood and woman before him, he felt his body heat up as his ki whirled around the room, causing the walls to pulse with his power as his ki grew darker.

Suddenly, the weapons at his sides began to pulse as they dropped to the floor, the four dark diamond weapons crying out as the sorceress slowly fell to unconsciousness. The ringing of the weapons died as the sorceress fell asleep in his hands due to the poison's after affects on her body. His own ki dropped to its normal state as he closed his own eyes and took back his control, his eyes settled to a calm blue hue when he reopened them.

As his control return, he placed the girl on the futon and covered her before calmly stepping toward the door and opening it as a group of lycans and a half breed made their way toward his room. His eyes flickered back to red before becoming gold again.

"What do you want?" asked Battousai, his voice just as deadly as the poison that had been in the tea.

"We only wanted to see if Lady Kamiya was alright," said Omasu as they all bowed to the man. They all knew that the man wasn't in a good mood if his ki had been strong enough to be felt by most of the creatures in the city of Kyoto.

"She's resting, what else did you come here for? I know that you all didn't come here just to ask for the sorceress's well being," said Battousai as he closed the door behind him, leaving Kaoru with the four weapons in the room, knowing full well that the weapons were going to protect Kaoru, though he wasn't exactly sure how he knew that since they were created to kill her. But he did know that he was their new Master and they weren't going to defy him, just like everyone else that came before him.

"My Lord, the toxins in the tea were..." began the half breed in her white kimono, her ebony locks let loose as she stepped up toward the vampire seriously.

"If you thought that I didn't know how that drink got poisoned, then you've underestimated me, and those who underestimate me don't live long," said Battousai darkly as his eyes narrowed at the woman who he was beginning to seriously dislike.

"Don't you dare talk to my mate like that, Battousai! I don't care if you are an immortal or the eldest of the Elders, no one is going to threaten my mate," said the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu as he stepped before the girl boldly.

"You obviously don't value your life, do you?" asked Battousai mockingly as his ki grew dangerously.

"My Lord, Aoshi is only acting this way through pure instinct. You know how younger couples are," said the older lycan as he bowed toward the vampire, glaring back at Aoshi and Tomoe as he stood up straight.

"Well, your instincts are going to get you killed," said Battousai. He wasn't really happy about the fact that they ruined his moment with the creature within his room.

"We apologize, Lord Battousai, but do you wish for one of us to consult you when the other Elders come?" asked Hannya as the others tried to make up for the rudeness of their Leader. No one wanted to get into a fight with Battousai and die before they were suppose to. It seemed as if their Leader had been acting out of character ever since he announced his betrothed.

"I'll know when they have arrived. Just set up the room. Don't bother me for the rest of the night and I don't want a soul down this hall," said Battousai. It sounded more like an order than a request.

"Yes, Sire," said the other lycans as they all bowed to the man.

"Do you need anything else?" asked Okina before they left.

"Yes, I need you to leave me alone!" snarled Battousai.

Not needing to be told twice, the werewolves all bowed and quickly left the area in a flash before the eldest vampire decided that he wanted their heads on a silver platter.

The Prince of all vampires narrowed his eyes after them before deciding that he really needed to feed before he got tempted to drain the one inside the room dry.

**xXoXx**

"Well, at least I can tell you for sure that Battousai has gotten here before us, all right," said a figure in clothed in the old fashion of a blue male kimono with a white obi and hakama, the figure to his left was dressed a traditional violet kimono.

"His ki has sure increased rapidly and it seems almost possessively too," noted the female, her shoulder-length hair swaying as the wind danced with her dark locks that blended in with the night.

"That's Battousai for you. He's unpredictable," said a happy voice as the two looked at the doors that separated them from the restaurant and quarters of the Oniwanbanshuu.

"Is it me or is it every time I'm awakened we happen to go here for some type of crisis?" asked the vampire sarcastically as her mate moved to walk into the quarters for one of the most well known lycan groups in all of Japan.

Laughing nervously, the male vampire slid open the shoji doors of the famous Aoiya.

"Welcome, Lord Soujiro. Oh, Lady Shura, we weren't expecting you to show up. Welcome! We had thought you weren't going to arrive. Please, take my apology. I had heard that you had decided to be placed into your sleeping state for a few more centuries," said the warm voice of Okon as she showed up in front of them with a new set of futon in her arms, a polite smile on her face.

"It's quite all right, I myself wasn't expecting to be awakened so early either," said Shura as she looked at her husband through narrowed eyes.

"Is Battousai here?" asked Soujiro, ignoring his mate's deadly looks and closing the two shoji doors behind him.

"I'm sorry, Lord Soujiro, but Lord Battousai has just left...for a meal I believe... But Sorceress Kamiya is within their room," said Okon with a weak smile as she remembered the condition that the woman was in.

"Sorceress? Their room?" questioned Shura confused once Okon turned around and lead them down a hall opposite of the other vampire lord, just as she was told to do when the other Elders arrived.

"Lady Kamiya is a sorceress, the last of her kind," explained Okon as she slid a shoji open and laid a freshly cleaned futon in the center of the small room for them.

"When will the meeting be?" asked Soujiro before his mate could question the werewolf any further.

"Most likely when the other Lords arrive and Lady Kamiya has awakened," said Okon as she stepped out of the room and faced the couple that had walked within.

"Why would her presence there be important? Females aren't allowed in the meetings with the Elders," said Shura as she looked at the lycan perplexed. It had been that way for centuries and more.

"Lord Battousai has said that she would never leave his side while they're here. The only reason why he left was because the room that Lady Kamiya is sleeping in is well guarded with dark ki and magic," said Okon as she quickly bowed to them and went back to furnishing the rest of the rooms for the other Lords that would be arriving soon.

"Magic?" questioned Shura as she looked at Soujiro, who for once had on a very serious face and seemed to be in deep thought.

"We'll just have to wait for the meeting to get some answers," said Soujiro. "Do you wish to come with me to see, Aoshi? Or do you wish to explore the place on your own? I'm sure that you remember the place from our last visit here." He smiled as he moved to leave their new room.

"You're the one that'll get answers, I'll just be left in the dark again. And no, I'd rather not see Lord Aoshi with you, milord. I'm going to try and get to know his new mate instead," said Shura as she walked out of the room, leaving a bewildered vampire behind.

Shaking his head, Soujiro followed his mate out of the room and silently closed the paper sliding doors behind him.

**xXoXx**

The burning liquid slid down his throat, but it wasn't as quenching as the blood that he yearned to drink until he was full.

Licking his katana of the blood that had stained its blade, the oldest vampire alive looked down at the young maiden's body with golden orbs that shown brighter than the harvest moon and seemed as if they had absorbed the very light out of the sun, creating the night around them.

Roaming the teenager's body with his eyes, he closed his eyelids as her once sapphire orbs reminded him of the woman that lay safely in his protected room. He could feel her lips pressed against his own again as her warm breath feathered his neck, her slender body fitting perfectly into his own.

Feeling his own ki grow with anticipation to claim the sorceress, the vampire lord snapped his deadly crimson eyes open.

"Kaoru..." whispered the Elder as he leisurely closed his eyes, the name sliding off his tongue like fine sake as he tasted the name for the first time.

He didn't know why, but the girl's name seemed familiar to him, he had heard it somewhere before he had met her. The forest that night had seemed to call him in for a reason, but he had never known the reason why. Was it really destiny that he should meet and capture the sorceress or was it merely a coincidence?

"There's no point in hiding in the shadows, you know that I can sense you, Okina," said Battousai calmly as he sheathed his katana and heard the bushes brush slightly as the old lycan appeared before him and bowed.

"I apologize for interrupting your meal, milord," said the other Elder as he looked at the girl on the ground.

"I've already finished, what do you want, lycan?" demanded the vampire, his voice commanding and not at all tolerant.

"I have a request," said Okina as he bowed deeper to the redheaded vampire lord.

Battousai raised a brow to the lycan, allowing his enemy species to continue on with his proposal.

"The request is very small, but of great importance. All that I ask is for you to finish off the half breed," said Okina grimly as he watched the vampire's expression change from interest to amusement.

"You're one of the most loyal of Shinomori's clan members, yet now you wish to defy his choice of a mate and have her killed?" questioned Battousai almost sarcastically.

"I respect my lord, Your Majesty, but I do not respect his choice for a mate. If Lord Aoshi goes through with this marriage, then it would cause his reign of power to go unbalance and the loyalty of his men will waver. My people will then shun him and the rest of us from his decision. Most are already trying to kill him and the half blooded creature anyways and all that I ask you is to finish her off early to avoid such mayhem," said Okina as he looked into Battousai's golden, moonlit eyes seriously.

"You only wish for the best of the Oniwanbanshuu, do you not?" asked Battousai as he turned his back to the old lycan.

"Yes," answered Okina truthfully.

"We'll discuss this once the other Lords arrive. You must be patient if you wish to do something correctly. What would you give to me in return if I am to do this for you?"

"Something that you desire," said Okina with a grin.

"Like?" asked Battousai interested as he turned back to werewolf.

"The twin kodachi that are part of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons. I know that you're looking for them and I know where those two are," said Okina as he moved his hands behind his back, he was sure that he got the immortal's attention now.

"Consider Yukishiro Tomoe as good as dead. It'll be done before the full moon," said Battousai as he grinned at Okina.

"The wedding was supposed to be in a few days, but because of the coming of the Elders, it was postponed. I suggest that her death comes while the Lords are still here," said Okina as his features hardened.

"The girl's death will come soon enough, but I won't promise you that I'll keep to this deal if I get the weapons before hand," said Battousai as he stared at the mortal who nodded in understanding.

Okina knew that Battousai saying that he'd think about helping someone else was good enough.

"Thank you, milord," said Okina.

"Dispose of the body and I'll see you at the meeting. The others are already arriving," noted Battousai as he looked into the sky, the familiar ki of the other Lords getting stronger and stronger as they got closer.

"Yes, Sire," said Okina with a bow, not surprised when the older vampire vanished when he looked up.

'_I just hope that the other Elders don't wish to go after the Okashira before Lord Battousai finishes the half breed off._' Thought Okina as he looked into the sky, before looking at the dead corpse on the ground and lifting it up, deciding to dispose of it on his way back.

**xXoXx**

The Okashira's room was the largest room in the entire building, except for the conference hall, which had been built especially for the times when the Elders decided that it was time for another meeting. The last one had been nearly five centuries ago.

Along the walls were white candles, paintings of deceased werewolves, and a large black star was painted on the ceiling. It was a symbol of darkness and power.

Stepping in the room, you could see the futon on the right side and a table in the center with a tea pot and four cups ready. It was tradition to always have tea ready in your room in case you have unsuspecting company. To the left was a rack that held a set of twin kodachi that seemed to darken the room even further.

"What are you doing here, Elder, shouldn't you be waiting for the meeting?" asked the cold voice of Aoshi as he walked into the room, Soujiro heading right behind him with his smile in tact.

"I thought that I'd catch up with an old friend, it's been decades since we've last met," said Soujiro politely as he slid the shoji door shut behind him.

"Our species have hated each other since the beginning of dawn's first light," said Aoshi icily as he walked into his room and sat down on one of the four tatami mats that were placed before the table.

"True, but I don't consider the Elders enemies, because they've worked together since then to make sure that our species hate each other. It's strange that our kinds should loathe each other so much when we've been together for so many centuries," said Soujiro with a smile.

"That's not the point, Soujiro, once you all leave, it'll be back to old feuds again," said Aoshi darkly as his guest sat down before him. His eyes' following the vampire's every move.

"You're right again, Shinomori, so now can you answer me why you've decided to wed a half breed? You've always followed the Old Code. The last time I checked you lived by it and now you've gone and went against it? You of all people should know the unbalance that will occur if you go through with this," warned the vampire lord seriously as he looked at his old friend.

"I know what I'm doing. I hope that you didn't come all this way just to tell me what I've already heard," growled Aoshi angrily. He had enough of others getting into his business when they had their own problems to deal with.

Soujiro only sighed as he looked into icy blue orbs before taking a cup and pouring hot steaming tea into it.

"If that were the only reason then I wouldn't have a life, would I? Don't answer that, we're both practically dead anyways. What I meant to say was, that no, that wasn't the only excuse that brought me here," answered Soujiro as he blew on his tea and swirled it in his left hand with age-defined perfection.

"Then why?" asked Aoshi as he watched the vampire sip his tea.

"It's the same reason why Battousai is here and why the other Elders are gathering. You know full well that Lord Shishio, Saitou, Okubo, and Katsu would never go in the same building together. And those are only the vampire lords. Lord Yamagata, Amakusa, Jineh, and Enishi aren't exactly the most... friendly lycans either," stated Soujiro.

"You mean that they're all going to come here? I thought it was just the ones in the area," said Aoshi as he thought about it.

"So, you've yet to know the real reason for their appearance?" asked Soujiro, gaining a raised brow from the werewolf.

The vampire only chuckled as he finished the rest of his drink in one swig.

"Well, the purpose for this meeting is that we need to stop the demons from returning and trying to take over our power again," said Soujiro seriously.

"We've defeated them before without Battousai's or any of the other Elders' help," said Aoshi, not understanding how such weak creatures could pose a threat to them.

"This time, they're stronger and their numbers are greater. That's also the reason why no one wants you to marry the half breed, because that would only prove that we're not even strong enough to make one of our own kind follow the rules.

"The birth of the half vampire and half lycan has already caused many to think twice about disobeying us. Once both of our kinds are in chaos and don't know who to trust or what to do because of this waver in power, the demons will attack, and once that happens we could lose our position in this world forever," said Soujiro with a grim expression, his eyes hardening into a dark blue as he looked at the werewolf's enraged face.


	11. The Meeting

Chapter ELEVEN:**_ The Meeting_**

Her mind swirled, her thoughts and memories clashing as she struggled to gain consciousness and awaken from what seemed like a nightmare. The past mixing with the present in a deadly duel that threatened to tear her from the inside out, not allowing her to determine what was really going on or allowing her to tell if it was all just some flashback from her childhood.

Voices pounded against her skull and threatened to drown her in a river of chaos and darkness.

Swimming to the surface, tears spilled down her cheeks as she was pulled in deeper by the currents, which refused to allow her to rise up and move on. She was trapped.

_**What's your name?**_

_**Kaoru...**_

_**My name is Shinta. **_

She suddenly froze as the voices seemed to become louder and louder as she drifted deeper and deeper into the darkness of the river.

_**You must live on my daughter! You must live as the last of our kind so that one day you may destroy the weapons that destroyed us.**_

Her mind screamed as the voices enveloped her entire body when she sank into the dark depths of her own past.

_**Your blood flows through me, and mine in yours. You belong to me now, and I keep what's mine.**_

_**I will get my freedom, this I vow to you, Amaterasu.**_

_**I won't. I'll hold you until you go to sleep. I promise you I'll be here once you wake up. Just go to sleep.**_

_**Crying won't get you anywhere.**_

_**But are you a Kamiya?**_

_**My name is Kaoru. **_

Her body screamed for air as she struggled to reach the surface, her mind screaming to be left alone as she waved her arms, trying her best to swim to the top. The harder she tried, the louder the words became as her memories swarmed and images appeared, blocking her vision.

_**Kaoru, you should know better than to use your magic for your own self gain. As a Kamiya, you must only use your magic for good and the benefit of those around you.**_

_**We're the last of our kind, you must be proud and honored to be a sorceress.**_

_**Run, Kaoru, run! Don't ever turn around! Run!**_

_**Father!**_

**xXoXx**

A piercing scream gathered the attention of the occupants of the Aoiya as they all turned in the direction of the darkened hallway.

"Lady Kamiya," whispered Okon as she stopped in her tracks from leading the Lords to their rooms. She stood frozen just before the entrance of the infamous inn.

"Did you just say 'Kamiya'? What is a sorceress doing here?" asked a man with a brown beard and mustache, dressed in what looked like a brown western outfit.

"You should know that Lord Battousai has brought the girl to find the weapons, Okubo," said a lycan with gray hair and piercing red eyes, his black attire allowing him to blend into the shadows of the inn.

"Jineh," said Lord Okubo darkly as he bared his fangs.

The two faced each other, only a few meters apart as they advanced, but before they could move they stepped back as they felt a gust of wind blow through them.

Shuddering internally from the dark feeling, the two only looked around until they heard a snap of a door shutting near the source of the scream.

"Seems like Lord Battousai hasn't lost his touch," mused a lycan with white hair in an orange and blue outfit. His navy blue cape hanging to his sides like a pair of wings.

"I see that you haven't lost your sense of humor either, Enishi," said Lord Shishio as he appeared just outside of the Aoiya in his lavender robes. His action caused the lycan, who had been leaning against the inside of the inn doors, to stand up and glare at him.

The vampire's mate only snickered as she hung onto his left arm, her red and white kimono dragging to the floor as she smiled up at her Lord. Yumi only looked through the crowd and felt a bit worried when she didn't see any of her siblings. She was looking forward to meeting Soujiro after so many years, but kept silent from asking where they were. She didn't want to cause the others to become suspicious and realize that the three were actually related.

After a long, intense silent, a serious voice drifted down towards the group of Lords.

"Please follow me to the Conference Room as we wait for Lord Katsu, Saitou, Amakusa, and Yamagata to arrive," said Omasu as she came down from the second floor. She wore a traditional black kimono with blue flower imprints and her hair was pinned up as usual, it was the same attire that Okon was dressed in as well.

"Very well," said Okubo, leading the other men toward the large room that was located in the very center of the Aoiya.

**xXoXx**

The eldest of the Elders glided down the streets of Kyoto as he made his way toward the Aoiya, his senses alert as he thought of a way to dispose of the ever annoying half breed.

"Battousai," a familiar vampire voice said as a figure appeared before the Vampire Lord.

"Have my men been preparing for the upcoming battle against the demons?" asked Battousai as he walked past the man.

"Yes, but have you managed to collect the last of the weapons needed?" asked Saitou as he followed his leader, keeping in mind to stay a few meters behind the creature before him.

"I'll gain the twin kodachi soon enough once I take the life of the half breed," said Battousai with a grin as he stopped and faced his follower.

Stopping, Saitou only a raised an amused eyebrow to his lord as his own amber orbs met Battousai's bloodlust ones.

"Okina has promised me the swords if I get rid of the half breed for him, but I don't like to make bargains," Battousai said with a deadly grin.

"So you're asking me to dispose of her for you?" stated Saitou as he returned the grin.

"More like ordering," corrected Battousai a bit darkly as the other vampire nodded in understanding.

"Shall I eliminate her…" began Saitou, but stopped when Battousai raised a hand.

"Damn…" cursed Battousai as he suddenly vanished.

Staring after the other Elder, the vampire only narrowed his eyes as an agonizing scream reached his sensitive ears, it was so light that he could have mistaken it for the wind if his lord hadn't left so quickly. Just as suddenly as the other vampire had left, Saitou vanished into the shadows with his new task in mind.

**xXoXx**

Her body was numb, she couldn't feel anything as she sank deeper and deeper into the darkness as it wrapped its fingers around her, dragging her down into what seemed like a bottomless river. She had long since given up screaming for help, she knew that no one would hear her, knew that no one would save her. Her mind seemed to blank out, the voices that had once plagued her were no longer there to keep her company. She was alone.

Closing her eyes, she welcomed the darkness as it hugged her body and seemed to comfort her.

Thinking back, she realized that the darkness had helped her remain sane, had blocked out the voices that were troubling her mind. The darkness wasn't her enemy, but instead it was her one true friend. It was the only thing that she could trust. Darkness would forever be there by her side. She realized right then and there that her only companion in the world was Darkness.

Giving in, she allowed her body and mind to drift off into nothing.

'_Is this how it feels to die?' _Questioned Kaoru to herself, the numbness in her body suddenly fading.

"Trust me, dying isn't at all peaceful," mocked a deep and cold voice, sending shivers down the girl's spine as the black barrier that had made its way around her began to fade and shatter before her very eyes.

Snapping her eyes open, Kaoru threw her arms around the being's neck and allowed tears to fall from her cheeks, holding onto his neck as if her very life depended on it. Her body shook as warm arms wrapped around her lithe form and easily managed to support her as the man stood up.

"Crying won't get you anywhere," said the rich voice as Kaoru looked up and smiled as she met amused amber orbs.

"Battousai," whispered Kaoru as she moved her head to the crook of his neck, seemingly forgetting the fact that she was cuddling up against the very man that had captured her and threatened to kill her.

"That should teach you not to be so stupid," snapped Battousai a bit darkly as his right hand subconsciously rubbed against her back, coaxing her to relax her muscles and mold against his own masculine frame.

"Don't leave me," whispered Kaoru as her eyelids became heavy and she slowly fell back into a deep slumber against a very powerful and irritated vampire.

**xXoXx**

"Just because of a few misplaced demons, you expect me to cancel my wedding and kill my mate?" asked Aoshi enraged as he stood up, icy spheres looking into dark navy ones.

"I never said that you had to kill your mate. I merely explained to you that you cannot go through with this wedding. If you do, she_ will _die," stated Soujiro as he stood up and met his friend's deadly gaze with his own defiant ones.

"Not as long as I have the twin kodachi of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell. No one will touch her as long as I have them within my power," said Aoshi, clenching an enraged fist so hard that he almost shook.

"Why must you protect her? Why are you acting like this? You're a lycan, you hate half breeds, and you're disgusted by them. Tell me why you're so determined to mate with her! Is she that important? Is she more important than your reputation and the lives of your own species?" asked Soujiro, fighting back the urge to punch some sense into the creature before him.

"I hate vampires as well, but you don't see me killing you," snapped back Aoshi as the two stared at each other.

"I know that we're supposed to be enemies, and I know that you dislike me due to the fact that I'm also against your decision to marry Lady Tomoe, but you must understand that if you go through this, her life and your own will at stake," said Soujiro as his features softened a bit.

"I have to marry her," whispered Aoshi, his eyes begging his friend in battle to understand, even though his face betrayed nothing.

"We've fought many battles together, learned to fight together, we ate together, befriended two wonderful creatures together, we even made sure that the demons didn't take over five decades ago, each time we have always come out on top and victorious. But this is one battle that we can't fight together," said Soujiro as he turned his back on his old friend and foe, walking solemnly toward the exit of the room.

"Explain to me why we ever became friends in the first place," said Aoshi, his voice stopping the vampire in his tracks.

"It's because we were both loyal to the Old Code and we understood each other like brothers. Or rather we use to," said Soujiro as he looked at Aoshi with saddened eyes.

"I have to claim her before the full moon, Soujiro," said Aoshi as the two faced each other.

Soujiro only shook his head.

"She must be something for you to throw away your past and your future for her. I wish you luck in your marriage," said Soujiro as slid open the shoji door.

"You don't understand, Soujiro. I _have_ to mate with her before the full moon," whispered Aoshi.

"No one's going to stop you, but there are some that are going to stop_ her_. Even with two of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons on your side, you'll…no she'll be outnumbered," stated Soujiro as he left the room and snapped the rice paper door shut.

"No one understands," said Aoshi to himself as he sat down and looked at the two kodachi that were placed within his room. The two special weapons that were made out of Dark Diamond.

**xXoXx**

The Conference Room was fairly large and had nothing within except for a dozen green tatami mats that were laid out to make a large circle. On the ground in the center of the room was a map of Japan. Along the walls were black candles that lit the entire room, yet left an eerie feeling in its wake. The walls were not made of rice paper, but of wood so that the sounds made within would be absorbed by the wood and not go through it like the thin material that made up the rest of the inn. Then above on the ceiling was the traditional black star, which represented darkness and power.

Along the right side of the room sat Lord Shishio, Okubo, and Soujiro while on the other sat the Lycans: Lord Jineh, Enishi, and Okina. Only four people were missing and they were Vampire Lords: Saitou and Katsu and Lycan Lords: Yamagata and Amakusa. The two tatami mats that were the closest together and were facing the other ten were reserved for the eldest of the group and the sorceress.

This had been the arrangement for the past meetings for centuries, but this time not only was there one more person, but that person was a female, and sorceress at that. The thought had the creatures of the night pondering about what had gotten into the immortal vampire, but they knew that Battousai wasn't one to do anything without a good reason.

"Well, what do you all suppose that the red stars on the map mean?" asked Okubo as he stroked his brown beard and looked at the others after a long silence.

"They're the locations of the major sightings of the demons. Lord Battousai ordered one made a few months ago," informed Soujiro with his usual smile plastered on his face, his features betraying none of his real emotions.

"What I don't get is why we're wasting our time in sending our best fighters to finish off these demons that barely caused a threat five decades ago. Battousai is merely making this a bigger deal than it really is, he's overreacting," said Enishi as he adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's where you're wrong. You see, the demons have grown, not only in numbers but in strength and intelligence as well," defended Okina. "It's because of this that we all must step in as one and set aside our differences so we can put those demons in their places. The fact that the demons are slowly becoming a larger danger to us can result in other lower creatures also trying to defeat us! Lord Battousai wouldn't have kept the sorceress, who is a long time enemy toward Vampires if you all have forgotten, alive if he didn't want to find the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons quicker. By obtaining all seven he'll be able to make sure the demons learn their place in this world, it helps that he is truly immortal."

Okina smiled triumphantly as the others nodded in agreement to his logic.

"Have you already started without us?" asked a man with short black hair in a blue suit, his glasses nearly falling off his nose. Behind him stood a man with his hair neatly placed back, who wore a white hakama and brown gi.

"Yamagata, it's been a long time," said Jineh as he looked at the taller lycan who had spoken, nodding when the lycan sat down beside him.

"Katsura, what are you doing here? Where's Katsu?" asked Okubo as the other vampire sat down beside him before the other lycans.

"Lord Katsu couldn't make it, his mate is gravely ill and he requested that I take his place here at the Aoiya. I believe that I felt Lord Saitou and Amakusa's ki just nearby," said Katsura as he smiled at the others and nodded toward Soujiro, who smiled back in return.

"Closer than you think," came the deep voice of amber-eyed vampire as he stepped in. Just behind him was a lycan with long black hair that seemed like a deep red when the light from the candles reached him, and with a grin to his fellow lycans, he too sat down.

"Hajime and Shougo are both here, now the only two left are Lord Battousai and that sorceress of his," said Shishio as he felt the tension of the Elder creatures rise as they sat in the same room.

"We can wait a few more minutes, we've already waited a few centuries to meet again," stated Soujiro, trying to subside the opposition in the room.

"While we wait, what is this that I hear about Lord Aoshi changing sides by wanting to marry a…half breed?" asked Jineh as he looked at Okina, the other Lords following his gaze.

"That shall be taken care of soon enough. What you heard were just rumors, Jineh, you should know better than to jump to conclusions," barked Okina as he narrowed his eyes at the other lycan.

"I heard that the girl knew magic," Enishi added, looking at the older lycan in hopes of finding out if the gossip that had been spreading all over Japan were as true as they seemed.

"That's preposterous! Only the Kamiyas know magic and the last one is somewhere in this inn at this very moment. You know that no one else is supposed to know…magic. It's unheard of! If this half breed were to know it then it's another reason to dispose of her," said Okubo in disgust; the mere thought had his blood boiling and his mind confused as to how someone like Aoshi could wind up liking such a creature.

"All the more reason to hate her," whispered Amakusa as the others all nodded, but Soujiro who seemed to grow stiff at the very mention of Aoshi and his mate.

"Something bothering you, Soujiro?" asked Katsura when he saw the older vampire without his smile on. Personally, he had grown quite accustomed to seeing the other vampire smiling, so much that seeing him without it seemed unnatural.

"I'm fine, I'm merely wondering about what's taking Lord Battousai so long to get here is all," said Soujiro with a fake smile that he had been able to perfect from the first few centuries that he had walked the Earth.

"What about me?" asked the rich and icy voice of a red-haired figure by the shoji door, his golden gaze staring at the occupants around him, whom all stood up out of respect for the eldest creature on the planet.

"Where's Lady Kamiya?" asked Okina when he realized that Kaoru wasn't beside him. He made a mental note that neither were the four Dark Diamond Weapons.

"I thought that she would be joining us," said Shishio with a smirk, taking pleasure in trying to make the other being fiddle around for an answer, but inwardly seethed when he got no such reaction from the vampire.

"She's a bit worn out, you could say," grinned Battousai as he glided through the room and sat down in his proper spot, followed by the others when the shoji door was slid shut by Okon, who had sat down near the rice paper doors.

"Then what about the scream that we heard earlier?" questioned Enishi, trying to provoke his arch nemesis and superior.

"I believe that you all came here for another reason besides asking me time consuming questions about the last of the sorcerers and sorceresses," snapped Battousai, his voice dark and deadly.

"So, shall you explain to us the deeper reason behind this meeting?" asked Katsura seriously after a long dreadful silence.

"Creatures of the dark, I'm going to tell you something that has nothing to do with our upcoming war with the demons, but instead about myself. You can either agree or disagree, but no matter what you're going to have to deal with it," began the vampire, his voice intimidating in such a manner that it caused the others to lean toward him out of pure curiosity.

"Yes?" asked the others in unison when he didn't continue for an extended period of time.

"I've claimed the sorceress as my own," declared Battousai flatly, his face impassive as he watched the others' reaction toward his words.


	12. The Master Plan

Chapter TWELVE: **_The Master Plan_**

Kyoto was usually a busy and loud city during both the day and night, but for some reason, it seemed as if all of Kyoto had fallen under a curse, for not a single sound was heard on the streets. Even the animals that usually prowled in the night looking for foods were silent. Every single restaurant and shop was closed shut, even the houses of the civilians were bolt-locked. Not a single ray of light was visible in the dark and gloomy town and the only sources of light were the stars that twinkled glamorously in the night sky.

"I wish every night were as calm and silent as this," whispered a shadow on the rooftop of a certain well-known restaurant owned by lycans.

"There might not be any sounds, but the atmosphere is thick tonight," added another figure beside the first shadow that had shattered Kyoto's silent curse.

The first shadow only nodded as she sat on the ledge of the rooftop and swung her legs over the building calmly. Her ebony locks glistened from the stars' radiant light and her braid swayed like a snake behind her back as the wind picked up.

"So what's your plan, Misao? There has to be a reason why you came here without a disguise and in the middle of the Elders' meeting at that," stated the shape-shifter's sister, who stood behind the figure seated.

"You didn't have to follow me here, Megumi. I already told you that I wasn't going to give up, and I plan to go through with this," said Misao seriously as her sea-green eyes met her sister's narrowed, chocolate ones.

"I know that I don't have to follow you, but I'm not going to let my little sister get hurt!" said Megumi seriously before calmly adding, "So what **_is_** this plan of yours anyway?"

Misao only smiled mischievously before quickly swinging her legs around so that she could see her sibling's face.

"We all know that Aoshi is going to get married to that half breed, right?" asked Misao as she stood up quickly, causing her green robes to sway around her from the quick movement.

"Well duh! State the obvious," said Megumi as she rolled her eyes and crossed her hands over her chest in annoyance at Misao's stalling.

"Shush! Keep your voice down!" hissed Misao as she remembered the keen hearing that the creatures within the building had.

"If you'd just hurry up…" began Megumi in defense as she unfolded her hands, but was cut off when Misao began her explanation.

"You can't really have a wedding if the bride isn't there, now can you?" asked Misao with a grin as she saw Megumi's look of shock when she registered what her younger sister had just said.

"You don't plan to…."

"Of course not, do you honestly think that I'd want the title of a murderer because of that disgusting creature?" snapped Misao, annoyed that her sister would actually think that she would stain her own hands for the half breed. She was desperate, but not that desperate.

"Then what do you plan to do?" asked Megumi as she looked at Misao seriously.

Misao smirked darkly before motioning her sister to come closer with her right index finger.

Getting on her tip toes, she whispered her plan to the other shape-shifter when they was close enough.

Megumi gasped as she heard the plan and stared at Misao in surprise and confusion.

"Are you serious? Do you really think that this is going to work?" asked Megumi as she took a step back from the younger creature.

"Yes, I'm dead serious, and I know that this is going to work, but I'm going to need your help," said Misao as she looked up at Megumi with pleading eyes.

"I'm not going to like this, but since you are my younger sister…" began Megumi but fell silent when she felt Misao hug her in thanks.

Sighing, Megumi only returned the hug before stepping back and turning into a purple bird and soaring to the sky, a green bird following right behind her.

'_The things I do for family.'_ Thought Megumi as she flapped her wings toward the forest where they were to prepare for Misao's plan.

**xXoXx**

Soujiro's wife walked up the steps and lightly knocked on the shoji door that was right above the conference room below. She had been looking forward to seeing the half breed herself, and wanted to find out what it was about the girl that made the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu want to marry her at the risk of being killed.

"Going to see Lady Tomoe as well I presume, Lady Shura?" asked a calm and delicate voice from behind the vampire, causing the knocker to jump a bit.

"Lady Yumi, I didn't sense you coming," Shura apologized as she bowed to the other vampire.

Shishio's mate only smiled as she nodded for Shura to stand up straight. She had been bored and decided that she'd amuse herself by seeing the half breed. But in a way, she was much more relieved now that she wouldn't be talking to Shinomori's future wife alone.

"Stand, you don't want to ruin your beautiful violet kimono, now would you?" asked Yumi when the two smiled at each other in acknowledgment.

Shura only blushed at Yumi's comment and made one about her red and white kimono, purposely leaving out the fact that Yumi's pale shoulders were fully exposed to the public's eye.

Hearing the shoji door open, the two vampires turned around and stared at the half vampire and half werewolf that stood at the door bowing to them.

Looking the girl over, the two exchanged glances and agreed that the girl was quite elegant. For even if she wore a plain white kimono and blue obi, Tomoe still looked quite beautiful.

"What is the occasion that I have the honor of the wives of two Elders visiting me?" asked Tomoe politely as she allowed the two to enter her room and slid the door shut when they sat down.

"We thought that we'd congratulate you on your up coming wedding," said Yumi calmly as she sat down on her knees before a low table with Shura to her left.

"This place is beautiful, yet simple," complimented Shura as she looked around the white room that was filled with white roses, but oddly enough smelled like white plums instead.

Along the walls were white candles and glamorous mountain paintings while the ceiling was marked by a white star instead of a black one that was placed on the ceiling of the rooms of the Lords. The window was right in front of the table and allowed the two vampires to look out into the night, and to the left of the window was a mirror that hung on the wall. There was a small closet to the right of the shoji door and the white futon was folded neatly and placed away inside.

"Thank you," said Tomoe as she sat down across from them and poured them tea from the tea set that was placed on the center of the table.

"How has life treated you after you arrived at the Aoiya?" asked Yumi after she picked up her cup of tea and blew away the steam.

Tomoe didn't speak until she blew her tea cool and took a small sip of the rare tea.

Gracefully placing the cup back down on the table, Tomoe looked up at the two women with an emotionless face.

"Things have been quite fine since I arrived here a year ago and I thank you for your concern," said Tomoe.

Yumi raised a brow before glancing over at Shura.

"I'm quite glad to hear that and I'm happy for you and Lord Aoshi. He's a great friend of my husband and I'm glad that he managed to meet someone as sweet as you, Lady Yukishiro," said Shura, smiling politely.

Tomoe only nodded in thanks and kept a straight face at the vampire's statement.

"If you don't mind me being too straightforward, but how was it that you came across Lord Aoshi and captured his heart? The last time I checked he had an eye out for another certain female," Yumi stated curiously before sipping the rest of her tea evenly.

Shura shot Yumi a glare at how rude she was and turned back to see Tomoe's reaction and was a bit shocked to find Tomoe smiling.

"I met Lord Aoshi over a year ago just outside Kyoto on a full moon, and being a half werewolf, I changed half way into my lycan form. After hunting down my meal, a few bounty hunters found me and chased me into the forest. They were determined to kill me because of what I was, and I knew that my head was worth at least 100 kilos of gold. I managed to out run them, but in the end, they used silver swords to hurt me enough so that I could barely lift a paw, but I was still able to get a few meters away from them though.

"Before I could use my magic to heal my wounds, the bounty hunters had caught up with me, they would have eliminated me if Lord Aoshi hadn't jumped in and ended their lives instead. For that, I owe him my life," spoke Tomoe truthfully as she kept her eyes on the wooden table, not wanting to look at her audience's faces.

"So you're in debt to him…" Yumi said slowly as she thought about it for a minute.

"You're going to repay him by becoming his bride?" asked Shura a bit bewildered as she tried to find out why the lycan leader was giving up everything just to be with the girl before her.

"That's not exactly the best way to repay someone," said Yumi solemnly as Tomoe nodded at Shura's question.

Before anyone else could speak up, the wind outside began to howl and swirled into the white room, blowing out all the candles.

**xXoXx**

The conference room was dead silent as the other Elders stared at the immortal vampire, who had just declared that he had claimed the last of the sorcerer and sorceresses. No one moved as they tried to register what they had just heard, each one positive that their ears were playing tricks on them. They all knew that Battousai lived by the Old Code and couldn't quite comprehend how he could claim Kaoru, the last of the greatest enemies to all vampires, as his.

"M-milord…you're going to claim a Kamiya…as your m-m…." stuttered Okubo as he broke out of shock first.

Lord Battousai, the oldest of the Elders, raised a hand, stopping the other vampire from continuing.

"I never said I was claiming her as my mate, I just said that I was claiming her," reminded Battousai calmly, ignoring the sighs of relief from his fellow vampires.

"For a minute there, we all thought that the Prince of the Night had actually went against the Old Code and gotten with his enemy," said Enishi with a half mocking and half relieved grin to the older creature. He knew that if the most powerful of both species had gone against the rules then there would surely be an uprising from the other creatures.

Battousai waited for the other Elders to catch their breaths before continuing, "You all know that I've claimed the Kamiya girl, which means that she is forever **_mine_** and **_mine_** alone. No one else is to ever again take her blood, but me, and no one, absolutely no one is to do anything to her, but me. She's my possession. Understood?"

The other Elders could only nod at the vampire's dark and threatening tone that promised a painful death to anyone who went against his words.

"Now on to the other businesses at hand," said Battousai as if he hadn't announced that if anything happened to a mere mortal, the rest of them would have to suffer the consequences.

"Yes, as we were saying earlier about the demons…" began Okina, but the old lycan never got the chance to get anything out because a scream, followed by a thud from above, cut him off.

**xXoXx**

The 17-year-old sorceress stared at the black star above her as she laid on her futon, glazed sapphire eyes blinking slowly as her eye lids threatened to close.

"Shinta…Battousai," whispered Kaoru as she raised her right hand in the air and traced the star.

_**There are two types of stars that we creatures use as our symbol, which are the Star of Light and the Star of Darkness. No matter which one you use as your symbol, they both represent power, but not the same power. The White Star represents the power of kindness and strength within the person's soul and spirit, whereas the Black Star signifies the power of hatred and greed within one's mind and heart. You are the only one that can choose which one that you wish to follow, Kaoru. No one can choose for you, for you are your own being.**_

Kaoru closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down the side of her face and landed in her lavender locks that seemed to have been eaten by the shadows around her. She ignored the deadly song of the weapons to her right and tried her best to shut out the voices plaguing her mind. The voices of the past were returning and with each word she could feel her very soul being torn apart from the pain that came with the memories.

_**That's not how you use Shield Reflection, Kaoru. You have to place your hands horizontally in front of you and then raise them up so that they make a perfect 45 degree angle. That's right! Now, slowly chant the words within your mind so that your enemies won't know what type of defense you're making. Be careful not to…move your hands too high or your magic will backfire. Are you okay, Kaoru?**_

Tears rolled down her face as the words became louder and the images more vivid than ever.

Stifling a sob, she turned her head from the ceiling and stared at the weapons that were propped up against the wall.

Sucking in a gulp of air, she tried desperately to calm her beating heart as she saw the black aura of the four Dark Diamond Weapons from Hell pulsate. Their power seemed to grow darker with each passing moment and she could feel the atmosphere around her thicken from the power of the swords.

Forcing herself to sit up straight, she moved the blankets off of herself and stumbled a bit when she tried to stand.

Trying to control herself from swaying as she walked toward the weapons, Kaoru chanted the same words that she had used to summon the sakabatou to reveal itself to her near Silver River. The same dark glow from before started to engulf her form, and in the process, the swords began pulse in response to her spell. She couldn't understand why she was doing this, it seemed almost as if the weapons were calling her to them, to come closer to the darkness in which they ruled.

As she got within a hand's length of four swords, she stopped chanting and fell down onto her knees before the weapons that had become stone still.

Moving her ocean depths to the black star on the hilt of Battousai's katana, Kaoru lifted her right hand and extending her fingers, barely brushing the black star.

Ignoring the pain that shot up her arm from the contact, she closed her eyes and moved her fingers so that they caressed the katana's sheath in a single sweep downward.

**Cheep! Cheep!**

Kaoru jumped at the sound and upon looking past the katana, she gasped as she realized that the other three weapons had fallen through the wall. By calling the weapons, she had unleashed their inner power to such an extent that they were able to break through Battousai's dark barrier and rip through the thin rice paper to the outside.

Looking down at the source of the previous sound, she could only smile weakly as she saw a purple bird fluttering its wings wildly, trying its best to escape from under the sakabatou, which had fallen through the barrier with the other two weapons.

Lifting the sakabatou off of the bird and placing it to the side, she picked up the purple bird with both hands and brought it to her face.

**Clang!**

Kaoru flinched when she heard the katana fall from the lack of support, which she had given it earlier. It was the only reason why it hadn't fall over like the others earlier.

Looking back down at the injured bird, she stroked the bird's head with her right forefinger, her left hand holding the small creature protectively.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that the weapons didn't have anything to support themselves from falling over," Kaoru apologized with a weak smile.

She could only laugh nervously as she saw the annoyed look the bird was giving her.

"Here, I'll help you," said Kaoru as she felt guilt wash over her for being the cause of the bird getting injured.

Placing her index finger on the bird's beak, Kaoru closed her eyes and called upon her magic to heal the bird's wounded wings. Her left hand held onto the small animal as it began to squirm around in panic from the blue glow that was coming out of her finger. She couldn't help but smile when she opened her eyes and saw the purple creature relax into her hold as the calm feeling from her magic rushed through the bird's body.

"You'll be alright now," whispered Kaoru as she began to pet the bird's feathery back.

Just as she was about to place the bird back down on the ground so it could fly away again, she paused when the screeching sound of a scream reached her ears.

The bird within her hands began to squawk around frantically, but before she could do anything the purple bird had flown out of her hands and up toward the source of the scream.

Staring after it in confusion, Kaoru looked down at the ground and realized that the swords were once again pulsating. She suddenly realized that the black barrier was forming around the hole, which led outside to the Aoiya. Her mind finally registered that the hole led to the outside world and that if stepped through it she could easily escape into the night. But then again, Battousai would only have to snap his fingers and he'd have her right in front of him again no matter how far she ran away from him. She cringed at the mere thought of what he'd do after he caught her again.

'_It's either now or never….'_ Kaoru thought as she stared at the hole that was slowly closing.

**xXoXx**

"Megumi…where are you?" asked Misao to herself as she rubbed her beak against her green feathers.

Her emerald eyes scanned the streets of Kyoto and was glad that the Aoiya's rooftop was taller than most of the other buildings, she could easily tell if anyone else was approaching her. As her eyes roamed the area, she began to flutter her wings as she saw two dark figures suddenly appear on the rooftop of the building to the right of the Aoiya. She began to chirp loudly as the two figures jumped over to the Aoiya.

Lifting her wings, she flew to the sky as she watched the two shadows look down over the edge and toward a certain room that she herself had been looking at earlier.

A shiver suddenly went down her spine as she felt another darker aura coming from below.

Flying to the back of the Aoiya, her eyes turned into saucers as she saw a huge hole in the wall of the infamous lycan restaurant.

Turning around to see if the other creatures sensed the dark ki emitting from the room below as well, she flew toward the being that was heading down toward Tomoe's window. But when she looked back in the direction of the dark ki, she squawked as she realized that the other figure was heading toward the source of the hole.

'_Calm down, Misao! Which one should you follow: the guy going after Tomoe or the guy going toward that dark source of power?' _Misao thought as she began to flutter her wings faster out of terror and confusion on what she should do.

Before she could decide, the dreadful sound of a scream ripped through the night air like a knife.

Squalling, Misao headed toward the source of the cry, which just happened to be in the direction of Tomoe's bedroom.

**xXoXx**

Aoshi stood up at once when he saw that his twin kodachi were glowing black and quickly caught the two weapons as they began to fall from their wooden stands, which had dissolved from their dark immense power.

"What the..." began Aoshi as he looked at the two weapons in his hands.

Unexpectedly, the shoji door to Aoshi's room snapped open to reveal a large gasping lycan.

"What is it, Kuro?" demanded Aoshi as he turned to face his fellow Oniwanbanshuu member.

"Lord Aoshi! There was a scream coming from Lady Yukishiro's room and then there was a thud!" informed Kuro as he bowed to his leader out of respect.

"Why did you come here? You should have gone to her first!" snapped Aoshi angrily as he pushed passed the larger man and made a move to go up to Tomoe's room, but was stopped by Shikijou, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Hannya, who were all standing right outside his room.

"My Lord, I don't think that you should go upstairs," advised Hannya seriously.

"What do you mean? Get out of the way!" commanded Aoshi as he moved to get passed them, but Kuro placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.

"Lord Shishio and Lord Soujiro are upstairs as we speak and they're not happy with you," said Beshimi solemnly.

"What about Tomoe?" Aoshi asked as he looked at the five for an answer after he shrugged Kuro's hand from his shoulder.

His breathing suddenly became rigid and uneven when he wasn't answered.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he pushed right through the four werewolves and raced upstairs toward his future mate's room. Upon reaching the top, he felt his heart sink as he saw Okon and Omasu hugging each other in comfort near the stairs.

"Okashira," said Okon with a bow when she saw their leader, wiping the tears out of her eyes frantically with the sleeves of her kimono.

Omasu did the same and stifled a sob when she looked up at her Lord's eyes.

"What happened?" demanded Aoshi as he took Omasu by the shoulders and shook her.

The female lycan only gulped and looked towards Tomoe's room.

Biting her lower lip, she turned back to Aoshi with tear filled eyes.

Moving the girl aside, Aoshi took a step closer to his future wife's room.

Approaching the open shoji door with slow steady steps, the werewolf entered the white room and could feel his heart race as he saw the scene before him.

**xXoXx**

The room was completely silent as the Elders arrived inside the white room that was stained with streaks of red all along the walls. No one was found in the room when the creatures snapped open the shoji door and barged in. They stood completely still and silent as they saw the massacre in front of them.

"No…. This can't be…no," whispered Soujiro as he walked into the center of the room first and knelt down to inspect the purple cloth that was found in the center of room, where the sound of a falling body was heard earlier.

With a quivering hand, the second oldest vampire in the world picked up the piece of violet cloth, which was soaked in blood, from the ground. Slowly, his hands clenched into fists as the scent of his beloved's blood reached his nose and threatened to choke him with its intoxicating aroma.

"Yumi!" roared Shishio as he raised his fisted hands into the air and dropped to his knees as the unmistakable scent of his mate flooded his senses.

"This couldn't have happened…. How did someone get in here without any of us, the oldest of all the creatures in the world, knowing that they entered the building?" asked Yamagata, confused as to how his senses could have been so weak that he couldn't even sense a stranger entering the restaurant.

The others stared at the oldest of the group expectantly, but narrowed their eyes when they realized that he wasn't paying attention to them, but to something else.

"I guess that if the great Prince of the Night couldn't sense the intruder, then the kidnapper must have been quite the…" began Enishi but stopped when Battousai harshly cut in.

"Shut the hell up, Enishi!" snapped Battousai as he walked over to the window and focused all of his senses on something that the others couldn't recognize.

Just as Enishi was about to retort, the vampire jumped out of the window, leaving a group of creatures confused and bewildered at the events that had just occurred right under their noses.

"What are you all standing here for? Let's get out there and find them!" ordered Shishio as he stood up and walked over to the open window, but before he could jump out his keen sense of smell picked up the scent of a certain lycan leader.

Turning around, he glared at the lycan that stood near the doorway with his deadly ruby eyes.

Feeling the tension in the room, the other Elders at the door stepped into the room and moved aside so that there was a pathway from Shishio to Aoshi.

"This is your fault," hissed Shishio maliciously as he bared his fangs at the Okashira.

"How is it my fault?" snapped back Aoshi angrily as he narrowed his eyes at the older creature. He was enraged that the vampire would blame him for the kidnaping of the three women, when his own future mate was captured as well. This was unjust!

"You son of a bitch!" snapped a voice filled with nothing more than pure hatred as a flash of blue hurled itself toward Aoshi.

In the midst of shock, the lycan could only stare wide-eyed as a fist came in contact with his jaw line. He could only groan in pain as his body fell lifelessly to the floor and could feel the blood spurt out of his mouth from the impact of the punch.

"Okashira!" shouted Okon as she rushed over to Aoshi at the same time that Amakusa and Katsura pulled off the Elder from Aoshi's body.

"What the hell got into you, Soujiro?" demanded Amakusa when Soujiro kept struggling to get out of their hold and back at Aoshi.

"If it wasn't for the bastard's whore then Shura wouldn't be injured!" growled Soujiro malevolently, desperately trying to get out of the others' holds.

"Tomoe…isn't a whore! She didn't do anything wrong," defended Aoshi as he stood up and pushed away Okon and Omasu's help. He refused to seem weak in front of these excessive fiends.

"She existed! That's what she did wrong! I knew she was nothing but trouble from the start," spat Soujiro darkly as he glared at Aoshi, his once happy face twisting into a snarl.

The younger sibling of the immortal vampire unexpectedly stopped his rage and smoothly shrugged off the other two creatures that were holding him back.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath before turning to face Aoshi with the deadliest set of eyes he could muster.

The other Elders slowly began moving away from the infamous Tenken, for they all knew that when the vampire got angry, no one would be able to handle the receiving end of his fury.

"If my Shura doesn't make it back, I will kill you myself, Shinomori," promised Soujiro, his voice filled with the deepest loathing and rage that the others had ever heard from him.

In a blink of an eye, Soujiro vanished from the room without a trace.

"I'll hunt you down in Hell if Yumi makes it there before I do," swore Shishio as he too disappeared from sight.

An eerie quiet fell upon the occupants of the room and threatened to suffocate them all if it weren't for the scream of a dying being that unnaturally broke the dreadful silence within the white room.


	13. Worries and Tears

Chapter THIRTEEN: **_Worries and Tears_**

Kaoru watched as the small hole that led to freedom began to close. Her eyes suddenly widened as she saw that the sakabatou, dagger, and wakizashi had fallen out of the room, which meant that anyone could get them once the hole closed.

Forgetting about her own freedom, Kaoru launched herself out of the hole and just as her hand grabbed the sheath of the sakabatou, a large black boot stepped onto her hand.

Cautiously looking up, her eyes widened as she saw a shadowed figure standing before her. Just as she was about to pull her hand away from underneath his foot, the sound of steel penetrated the air, causing her to freeze when the glint of silver appeared at her throat.

Forcing herself to control her rigid breathing, Kaoru chanced a look at the person's face. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized that the creature before he was neither vampire nor werewolf, but instead a demon.

The sorceress bit her lower lip as she felt the hole closing in around her waist, but the moment the demon moved his foot off her hand to get the other weapons, Kaoru pushed both of her hands on the ground to help her 'bounce' back into the room.

Landing none too gently on her rear end, Kaoru scrambled to stand up. But just as she got to her knees, the entire wall that connected to the outside world was sliced in half along with Battousai's barrier.

'_Oh no! He's managed to control the weapons!'_ Kaoru thought as she took a cautious step back when the demon stepped into the room.

Eyes subconsciously darting toward the katana that was still in the room, Kaoru gasped when she realized that the weapon was gone.

"Take another step closer and I'll scream!" threatened Kaoru as she unconsciously backed up.

"And what are you going to..." the demon's sentence was cut off short as he let out a blood hurdling scream.

Kaoru's own yell joined in when she saw the intruder's heart on the blade of a certain katana. The teenager fainted just as the katana moved upward in an arc from its previous position at the demon's chest and sliced the demon's head in half.

Before her limp body landed on the ground, the sound of something dropping was heard as a pair of powerful arms wrapped around her frame.

Eyes slowly fluttering open as a comfortable warmth enveloped her, she whispered, "Battousai?"

"Stupid wench, you should have screamed earlier," snapped Battousai as he glared down at her, his golden gaze unconsciously looking over her body for any injuries.

"The Seven…" started Kaoru barely above a whisper, but was cut off when Battousai shook his head.

"As long as I have you, I can always relocate the weapons and take them back. Did you sense any magic on him, any type of magic that would allow him to walk around undetected?" demanded Battousai as he helped her to stand back up.

Kaoru only blinked at him before biting her lower lip and shaking her head.

"Damn. Then how the hell did he get in here without me knowing? I should have been able to sense him as well as his partner when they got into the area," scowled the 1000-year-old vampire, his fists clenching until they turned paler than normal.

"He wasn't using magic, he was using the blood of a human to cover up his own ki. The human's blood had nearly no ki energy at all and they used a holy item to cover up anything that you and the others might sense," informed Kaoru as she pointed toward the necklace near the demon's bleeding neck.

Walking over to the demon, Battousai knelt down and yanked the rest of the necklace from the beneath the creature's neck by holding the silver, which prevented the lycans from smelling its owner out.

Looking at the necklace, Battousai's eyes narrowed as he realized that a white wooden cross hung at the end and inside of its center was the blood of a human as Kaoru stated earlier.

"If it's not magic, then what is it?" asked Battousai as he handed Kaoru the necklace.

"It's not considered magic, because it was created by a priest or priestess. Whoever made this is one powerful being if this demon managed to get pass your senses. This necklace acted like a barrier for the demon so that no one would be able to tell what he was until he got within killing range," stated Kaoru as she looked at the item in all directions.

"Which means the other one that kidnaped the half breed and the others had this too," said Battousai more to himself before his head snapped toward the shoji door at the sound of footsteps.

Before Kaoru could question the immortal, the group of vampires and lycans that were staying at the Aoiya barged in. A few girlish screams were heard when everyone had entered and saw the dead body on the ground.

"Kuro, Shiro, dispose of the body immediately. What happened here, Lord Battousai?" asked one of the Elders of the lycans.

"Okina, do you know of any priests or priestesses in the area?" questioned Battousai instead as the two other lycans took away the body.

Caught off guard, Okina only gave him a strange glance before answering, "There is only one priest in the area. His name is Genzai Oguni."

The other Elders that still remained with the group—Okubo, Saitou, Katsura, Jineh, Enishi, Yamagata, and Amakusa—exchanged confused looks before looking at their lord for an explanation.

"A certain priest has probably joined up with the demons to create items," said Battousai as he pointed toward the silver item in Kaoru's hands, "which can hide the scent and ki of any demon from both vampires and lycans alike. It's because of this little necklace that none of us were able to sense their entrance."

Gasps were heard from Okon and Omasu as they stood at the doorway while the others looked at the necklace with narrowed eyes. This was not what any of them had expected would happen and it could only mean that the demons were now a big threat to them and everyone else.

"If we find this Oguni character, then we'll be able to find the others," spoke up the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu, his four most loyal men standing behind him. He was inwardly glad that they at least had some clue as to where to start looking for the kidnaped creatures.

Turning to face the lycan, Battousai eyes turned into deadly slits. Soujiro and Shishio weren't the only ones that were mad about the fact that it was because of a half breed that someone dear to them was now missing. If anything happened to his sister, he'd make sure that both the crossbreed and her mate-to-be suffered.

"I really don't care what you do, Aoshi, as long as you don't get in my way," warned Battousai before turning to the two female lycans. "I want another room that doesn't connect to the outside world."

The two women bowed and quickly left the room to set another one up for the Eldest vampire and his new 'possession' as he had announced in at the conference.

With a snap of his fingers, not only was Kaoru transported into Battousai's arms, but also the four Dark Diamonded weapons.

Quickly placing the katana and wakizashi in their rightful places at his waist, Battousai pocketed the dagger and held the sakabatou in his right hand.

Taking the necklace away from Kaoru by holding the silver strings, Battousai threw it at Saitou, who easily caught it without touching the purified cross.

Without another word, Battousai grabbed Kaoru's right hand in his left and pushed passed the other Elders toward the room where the female Lycans had disappeared into.

Sighing, Okina spoke to the others, "The rest of us might as well get some rest. It's almost dawn and we're going to have a lot planning to do tonight."

Nodding, the other Elders all left to their respective rooms with their own theories about what had just happened.

**xXoXx**

Rigid breathing and the flapping of wings echoed off of the trees as a violet falcon carried a red and black bat in either of its talons. With both mammals unconscious, the falcon made it back toward its home without much difficulty. What made it difficult was the wound embedded into its stomach.

Descending toward a wooden cabin surrounded by a silver and white wooden fence, the bird landed near the door of the small house in the middle of the woods.

Amethyst smoke surrounded the three creatures, and as it cleared away, the bodies of three young women could be seen lying on the dirt ground.

"Why does this always have to happen to me?" questioned the only conscious woman that was clothed in a purple robe.

Sitting up, the shape shifter looked hopelessly at the two vampires that lay beside her.

"I might as well get you two inside and address your wounds," muttered Megumi to herself as she stood up and opened the door to the small cabin.

Slowly and cautiously, Megumi managed to get both vampires into the cabin without further damaging their injuries and laid each down on the violet and green futon on the ground.

"My sincere apologies, Lady Shura and Lady Yumi, but I couldn't leave you there to tell the others about what you saw," said Megumi as she gave them both a bow before quickly closing the door and looking around for her medical supplies.

The cabin was protected by a barrier, and due to the silver and white wood outside, no one outside would be able to sense the occupants within.

Decorated simply, the cabin held only two futon and a few cabinets in the far left corner of the home. A small low table and a few tatami mats resided in the back along with a chest filled with necessities, giving the cabin a completed and comfortable look to it.

Lighting a few candles, Megumi placed them between the futon and kept one for her self. She grabbed the water filled bowl and washcloth near the front of the cabin and placed it beside Shura's head before moving toward the cabinets in the back.

"Salve…where is the salve?" mumbled Megumi as she looked through the cabinet with one hand while the other held the candle.

The shape-shifter smiled as she found the red circular shaped container and grabbed a few bandages before closing the cabinet and heading back over toward the wounded beings.

Kneeling down, Megumi placed the balm and bandages beside her before looking down at the most injured out of the three. She knew that within time the two could easily heal their own wounds, just as her self, but she wanted to make sure that they stopped bleeding before they died of dehydration.

"This all could have been avoided if that half breed never existed," growled Megumi to her self as she remembered what had happened that night.

**xXoXx**

_Flying through the window, which led into the hybrid's bedroom, Megumi managed to get there just as her sister got punched in the stomach by a man cloaked in black. She watched in horror as the impact of the punch threw her sibling into one of the already blood-stained walls._

_Eyes darting around the room, she gasped as she saw Shura, Tomoe, and Yumi spooned against the floor with blood pouring out of the cuts in their pale bodies._

_Quickly transforming back into human form, Megumi rolled out of the way as the creature in black tried to jab her with his katana. Even though she had moved in time for the weapon not to go through her, his sword had managed to leave a slash mark on her abdomen._

_Standing back up, she got into a defensive stance just as a few smoke bombs were thrown at the now identified demon before her. She recognized the attack when she saw the green fumes escape the bombs and fill the room._

_The shape shifter could barely make out the form of the man jumping out of the window along with two bodies thrown over his shoulders. Her eyes widened in shock as the smoke cleared to reveal whom the man had left behind, which could only mean that the other two whom had been in the room were the ones that were kidnaped._

_Hearing the footsteps of the others in the Aoiya, Megumi transformed into a falcon and forced the other two to change into their bat forms before flying off. She knew that if she left the two at the restaurant, then her sister's plan of having no one know about their stay in Kyoto would be at risk. Not knowing whether or not they had seen Misao try to save them, Megumi decided to be on the safe side and took them with her._

_But with her sister now taken away, she wasn't certain about anything anymore and didn't know if she should still go through with Misao's plan. Then again, the one person that they were supposed to kidnap was already kidnaped by someone else._

_Confused and flustered about what to do, Megumi followed her instincts and made up her mind of helping to aide Shura and Yumi back to health before doing anything else._

**xXoXx**

"If Tomoe didn't exist, then that demon would have never attacked you two just to get to her, and Misao would still be with me," seethed Megumi as she clenched her fists on her knees, her bangs covering her tear-filled eyes.

Remembering the reason why she had taken the two vampires with her, Megumi attended to their wounds as gently as possible without disturbing their much needed rest.

After washing their blood-caked bodies, Megumi applied the ointment to their cuts and quickly wrapped bandages around their numerous injuries so that they wouldn't get any infections.

Folding their kimonos, which she had taken off so that she could see the wounds clearly, Megumi stacked them in the center of the futon where the candles were. The shape-shifter smiled at her work and stood up when she was sure that she had taken care of all of their wounds.

Walking over toward the chest, Megumi pulled out a black and red robe for the vampires. As she dressed the two, she made sure to avoid touching any of their newly cleaned scrapes as best she could, flinching slightly when the girls moaned in their sleep from the contact.

Megumi slumped down in the one of the free corners of the cabin when she was finished and slowly began tending to the slash on her abdomen.

"I hope you're all right, Misao," whispered Megumi as she looked out of the window above her once she had taken care of her own injury.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru flinched slightly when Battousai's hold on her right wrist tightened. She'd be lucky if it didn't bruise.

Quickening her pace when the vampire almost dragged her toward their new room, the sorceress looked around at the simply decorated area outside of the main housing area of the Aoiya. She knew better than to try and make conversation with the creature before her, so she took the liberty of keeping herself occupied as she followed Battousai.

"Why?" Kaoru nearly jumped at the sudden question that broke through the silence.

"Why, what?" asked Kaoru carefully as she stopped, causing the vampire to turn around and face her with narrowed eyes.

"Don't play dumb. Why didn't you call out for help? Were you about to just stand there and let the bastard cut your head off?" demanded Battousai, his voice dead serious as his hold on her wrist caused her hand to become purple from the lack of circulation.

Kaoru turned her head to the right so that she couldn't see the intense golden glow of the immortal's eyes.

Battousai further narrowed his eyes darkly before letting go of Kaoru's hand and turning the other way to once again walk toward their new sleeping quarters. Dawn was soon approaching and he had no intent to being caught in the sun's rays.

"I didn't scream, because I didn't know if you'd even come to save me, not the sorceress that could get you your weapons, but me."

The moment that the whispered words reached his ears, Battousai froze in his tracks.

"If you think that I see you as anything more than a tool, a possession, then you're deadly wrong," spoke Battousai as he continued his trek forward, ignoring the salted scent that reached his sensitive nose.


	14. The Tool, The Possession

Chapter FOURTEEN: **_The Tool, The Possession_**

The walk to her--their new room was completely, utterly silent. There was nothing else to say and nothing else to do but follow the vampire. Even as the tears spilled out of her eyes like a waterfall, she managed to see the outline of Battousai. His auburn hair swayed smoothly with each step he took.

Then suddenly the tears stopped flowing down her cheeks and to her throat. Something snapped inside her mind as her brain finally, completely registered what the Prince of the Night had told her. The immortal's words sunk into her thoughts and dimmed the light of her soul, of her spirit. It was as if her mind stopped working and all she could hear were his words of truth. She was nothing more than his tool and therefore his possession.

Kaoru Kamiya, the last of the sorceresses fisted her hands at her side as she rethought about what she had been about to do. She had almost given in!

Clutching the fabric of her black robes until her knuckles turned a deadly white, Kaoru scolded herself for even daring to think like that.

Her lavender bangs covered her eyes as she forced one foot in front of the other and made herself walk in the shadow of the immortal. She kept the wooden floors and the flow of Battousai's cape in her vision as she walked on, not wanting to ever have to look up and see the flames that danced inside Battousai's eyes again. To see them was to be burned by them.

She wouldn't allow him to take her soul and to make her into something she didn't want to be. Even if she knew she couldn't stop him from achieving his goal, she could at least say that she had tried and had stalled him in the end. By poisoning herself and losing most of his blood from her body, she had already made an attempt to keep her freedom, but if she gave in anymore than she already had, she would lose. Kamiyas never lost without a fight, and she wasn't about to lose! If she was going down, then she would go down with fight, just like her parents.

When she shook her head of the thought of being a tool to get something another desired, Kaoru stopped walking and lifted her head as another thought crossed her mind. Why should she care about what Battousai thought? Why was his opinion so important that when he spoke of her of as a lesser being she felt her heart crumble? Why was she pained by his insults and cruel remarks? The answer was suddenly so simple: because he looked like Shinta, looked like the Vampire that she had fallen in love with on first sight. Shinta's opinion mattered to her, not Battousai's. Her hero's feelings toward her could break and destroy her, but not Battousai's. He didn't mean anything to her, Shinta did. So what in the world was she doing?

"Either you move on your own freewill or I'll force you to." The cold voice ripped into the air like a knife and the threat behind the words made the sorceress stand up straight with her shoulders squared until she met those blazing infernos.

"No," answered Kaoru in the same icy tone that Battousai had made his own. She was not going to back down from him, she would not cower like others and bend to his every will.

Battousai's eyes narrowed at the same time Kaoru's did and fire met ice again in battle.

Pulling his lips into a thin line, the vampire glared at his possession before appearing in front of her. They were so close that their noses nearly touched while their breathing brushed against one another's face. Just as quickly as he had closed their distance, Battousai held Kaoru's throat in his right hand. His hand crushed her windpipe, leaving only enough room to let her breathe in gasps and small gulps.

"I'm not in the mood to argue," hissed out Battousai.

He had nearly thrown her in the direction of their bedroom when Kaoru clung onto his right arm with both hands and glared right back at him. The intensity of her eyes caught him off guard for a second, and a second too long for his liking. For in the moment that he had paused, Kaoru began to struggle against him and would have managed to kick him if he didn't drop his hold on her and jumped back. He growled slightly as Kaoru turned and made a beeline for the general direction in which they had come.

Without hesitation, he raced after her, catching her by the waist when she ran off of the walkway and had made it to the center of the courtyard near the edge of the koi pond. He had managed to catch her before she could climb the waterfall and hoist herself over the wall.

Moving his powerful arms against either side of Kaoru, he forced her arms at her sides and held her in an iron grip as she screamed and kicked to be released.

With her back to him, Kaoru didn't get a chance to see the vampire's reaction as lightning struck only a hand's length in front of them into the pond. Water flew up more intensely than any geyser and landed all around the two, but none of it managed to get through the black barrier that was placed around them the same instant the lightning appeared.

Kaoru's entire body had frozen still when she heard the roaring of thunder resound right after the crash of lightning as if someone had lit a firecracker right next to her ears. It was only seconds later, when she saw the floating bodies of the fishes in the pond, did her body begin to tremble from the experience of nearly being killed by nature's fury. The crash of the lightning vibrated the ground beneath her form and she could feel the unbelievable sensation crawl throughout her body as she shivered.

Soon afterwards, rain began to pour from the sky and the display of lightning and thunder continued else where all around the two figures in the dark. Not even the rising of the sun would have been able to shed light through the thick clouds overhead.

Legs wobbling, the teenager would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Battousai's hold on her. The weather brought nothing but unwanted memories back to her and in the moment that the lightning nearly hit her, Kaoru was glad to be in the safety of the vampire's arms. It had been Battousai's barrier that protected them from growing deaf or blind from the closeness of the attack.

She didn't bother to struggle as she felt herself being lifted up bridal style and carried quickly toward her new living quarters. Even the stares she had been given by Okon and Omasu, whom had been seeing to the arrangements of their room, didn't matter. It was obvious that they had left the room in a quick rush when the deafening sound of thunder reached their ears, but they asked nothing while the couple past them. Their eyes had been fixated on the steam that rose from the pond's surface.

Upon entering the newly set up room, Kaoru heard the shoji slam shut with a click and the familiar eerie comfort of Battousai's dark power around the room as she was laid on a futon.

Kaoru knew better than to try and fight now, there was no way she was going to be able to get past the vampire's barrier or the vampire itself even if she did try. She'd only be making the rest of her life as Battousai's slave hell if she tried anything foolish like that for a second time. By doing so, she'd only be delaying the inevitable.

She finally moved her eyes from the star on the ceiling toward Battousai when she heard the quiet brush of his cape against the wooden floor.

Curiously, she watched him lean his back against the farthest wall from her and slide down into a sitting position with his katana leaning against his left shoulder. Kaoru watched on in awe at the silent strength in his movements as he placed the other three of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell on his right side.

Kaoru turned her head to look at the other side of the room when Battousai met her eyes for a split second. She wasn't about to let the Vampire have the satisfactory of smirking from catching her stare at him. If she couldn't see it, then it never happened and thus meant he hadn't won. She still wasn't going to give up on winning, even if they were small victories, but in the long run they could make a difference. And just because he saved her life didn't mean she was going to be grateful to the bastard. It was his fault she was in this mess in the first place.

Stubbornly, she refused to acknowledge the fact that the room was visibly turning dark as she sulked in her own mind and replayed her dreaded memories over and over again. The images flashed before her eyes as she tried desperately to fall into a dreamless sleep.

**xXoXx**

Pain was all that she could feel. The blazing sensation ran through her veins like fire following a path of oil and the hotness of it threatened to burn her alive. Her skin was wet from her sweat and the blood that escaped her deadly wounds. It was only when the agony became unbearable did the shape-shifter finally scream and allow her anguish to be heard.

Misao arched her back into the air, uncaring that the ropes that tied her down to the ground ripped through her flesh and tore through wrists enough to make her bleed. But at the moment, the only thing going through her mind and body was that she had to cease the pain that threatened to kill her. If her hands hadn't been tied above her head, she would have clawed at her skin to try and stop the suffering within her body. The wounds she had received earlier didn't even compare to the internal anguish that she felt now.

Turquoise eyes rolled back into their skull when the shape-shifter finally collapsed in a pool of blood from exhaustion. She now lay almost completely still in her own liquids and her rigid breaths came in gasps as her body continued to twitch from the after affects of her struggle. Not even the sounds of twigs snapping from her right were loud enough to be heard over the drumming of her furiously beating heart.

The silhouette of two creatures loomed over her in the darkness of the night. Misao moved her head slightly to look at them before gritting her teeth to stop from screaming in front of the two.

"She's exhausted herself," mocked the shorter one after letting out a laugh full of pleasure at seeing another's pain.

"You might want to step away from her face, Sadashiro. She's going to show you her guts on your new shoes if you don't move," warned the other's companion, his tone emotionless.

Immediately, the one near the shape-shifter's face jumped back in repulsion, just in time to dodge Misao's dinner as she lurched as closely as she could to the black shoes.

"Disgusting creature! Of the remaining four in that room I just had to grab her!" growled the demon so that he revealed to Misao his fangs.

Misao could faintly make out his black hair and pointed face before another wave of pain crashed down on her and threatened to drown her in its current.

Reluctantly she bit her lower lip to stop from crying out and when the taste of blood filled her mouth she coughed and allowed her shrieks to be heard again.

"There's no need to complain over what has been done. Toshiyoshi already has the half breed in his clutches and that's all that matters. You've proven yourself to him by completing the task right under Battousai's nose. Our leader is pleased and he's even gone as far as to give you permission to do as you please with your second catch," stated the other demon, his eyes examining Misao's body as she jerked upward and screamed again.

"You're right, Eibin. You're always right." Sadashiro smirked even though he had kept his attention on his prisoner, who was flopping about like a fish out of water.

The two stared down at Misao as she struggled desperately to get free, they watched on as the poison placed within her body made its way through her system and slowly ate at her innards. From the way that she was withering, they could tell that the venom had already done so much damage that Misao couldn't speak, let alone think of anything but the destruction of her body from the inside out. The only things coming out of her throat were her screams, which went unheard by anyone outside of the barrier-protected forest. Not even the sounds of thunder from outside the barrier could be heard, which was the reason why Misao's earlier screams sounded so loud and tortured.

"Yell all you like, no one's going to save you." With that given permission from her kidnaper, Misao cried out once more.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru tossed and turned in her dream as she felt herself running once again from her enemies.

_The shouts of the vampires behind her, along with the ever gloomy shadow of the lycan leader beside her, kept her running. She was determined to not to get caught. She was going to survive._

_Racing through the thickly dense forest, the sorceress came to a halt at a familiar cliff when the rain pounded against her skin and soaked her robes. She sucked in a gasp of air as she was pulled back by the waist, the bolt of electricity that had aimed for the cliff made its target and nearly scorched her outstretched hand._

_The roaring of thunder echoed in her eardrums as she fell back and into the arms of her savior._

_Slowly, she felt herself fall to the ground, felt herself being held once again in protective arms._

_Eyes darting up, Kaoru closed her eyes when the scenery seemed to switch so that now the light of the sun stung her optical nerves. When her pupils finally adjusted to the new flare of light, the teenager felt the air leave her lungs once more. There, holding her in his arms, was Shinta. The unmistakable figure of her silent crush and hero had his arms around her with a smile on his lips, a smile that matched his lovely amethyst orbs as they watched her almost passionately._

_Like a mirage, the image of her love changed subtly into a certain vampire in which she was slowly beginning to loathe more than when he had first taken her away from her home._

_Scowling, Kaoru tried frantically to get out of his grip, but he wouldn't budge. His hands merely got tighter around her body and threatened to suffocate her if she continued to try and escape._

_Out of no where, Battousai's lips claimed her own, it was worse than a slap to the face and it made Kaoru freeze completely still in his hold as he deepened it. She could feel his fangs brush against her own canine teeth and his tongue easily parted her teeth and slid against her own. His hold around her waist released to move to the small of her back and behind her head to gain more access to her mouth. Even now his movements were precise and confident as he gathered her into his arms. It wasn't until she felt his fangs bite down on her lips that she felt something other than pleasure._

The shock was so great that Kaoru sat up straight on her futon, her own breathing sounding loud in her own ears as she awoke to the real world with a burning blush on her cheeks. It didn't seem like her heart was about to cease pumping so quickly anytime soon.

"Must you always dream about me?" drawled an amused voice from one of the darker corners of the room.

Whipping her head into the general direction of the sound, Kaoru felt all of her blood rush to her face when she remembered that Battousai was in the same room and could read her mind without much effort.

Sputtering to find an answer, Kaoru finally decided to not answer altogether and had to refrain herself from touching her lips. The dream had felt terribly real and unconsciously she graced her lower lip with her tongue to see if Battousai had really drawn blood from her. She was somewhat relieved and for some unknown reason disappointed to find that her lips were still as smooth as ever. It had all been a dream, a sick imagination that her mind had thought up while she tried to sleep. She highly doubted she'd be able to get back to sleep any time soon.

Not wanting to have to see Battousai with either a grin or smirk on his face at her silence, Kaoru laid back down on the futon and covered herself with the blankets once more.

Tucking the covers to her neck, Kaoru kept her eyes on the star on the ceiling and listened to the putter and platter of the rain caressing the roof above her head.


	15. Changing Tides

Chapter FIFTEEN: **_Changing Tides_**

Dawn approached the city of Kyoto, yet still the clouds refused to part and the sun was left unseen. The streets were untouched by anything but rain and lightning. Not even the creatures that prowled during the gloomiest of hours were outside, none daring to go up against Nature's fury. Only the sound of the thunder's roar, the rain's footsteps, and the wind's howls were heard. It seemed that Nature was unrelenting in allowing this part of Japan to see its kindness.

Hours went on and on, but still there was no sign of the bad weather giving way. The Heavens weren't at all happy.

The moment that the rain began to drizzle lightly, five figures stepped out of the Aoiya, each one holding an umbrella. Of the five creatures that left, the largest of the group stopped short a few meters away from the Aoiya's entrance.

"Hyottoko, you'll be the one to stay and protect our headquarters?" asked the Okashira as he turned and stared up at one of his most trusted men.

"I will not let you down, Lord Aoshi," said Hyottoko with a bow.

Nodding, the lycan leader turned to the other three werewolves behind him and motioned for them to follow.

When the three nodded in return, he led their small group towards the closest temple where they would find Genzai Oguni, the priest suspected in aiding the demons.

**xXoXx**

Deep within the forest, the spiraling blackness of smoke from a chimney floated into the sky, catching the eye of a certain brother of the immortal Battousai.

Soaked through and through, Seta Soujiro stumbled toward the small hut where the smoke originated. The coldness of the storm didn't bother him, but the lack of results in finding his mate was threatening to choke him. His immune system was faltering as his brain began to process that he would never find the vampire he grew to care so much for. The thought of losing her as well as his sister ate at his will to go on. The cause of his depression and weakness was his failure. He had failed the two of the most important people in his life.

Eyes going unfocused in the storm, Soujiro forced his legs to move toward the silhouette of the wooden house. The closer he got, the weaker he felt. It wasn't until he was suddenly thrown back that he finally realized his lack of power was caused from being so close to the holy barrier around the only form of shelter in the whole forest.

With no will and no strength left to fight, Soujiro was content on just staying on the ground where he was thrown. If worse came to worse, at least he would soon see his wife and sibling again.

Before he fell into unconsciousness, he vaguely made out the form of a woman stepping out of the house. His world went completely black just as he heard his name being screamed out.

**xXoXx**

The shape-shifter watched her patients silently from beside the window as they slept and smiled when she noted the two women would get better within a few short hours. What bothered her though was that she'd have to explain to the vampires how she found them and brought them back here. She was certain that they would be confused as to why they were here instead of at the Aoiya. If she didn't make up a good excuse soon, they were most likely going to accuse her of attacking them. Life was so difficult sometimes.

Eyes moving over toward the kettle over the fire, Megumi stood up and carefully took the whistling item off its hook with a cloth dipped in cold water.

Cautiously, she placed the container of boiling water on the small table toward the back of the hut before trudging over to the one of the cabinets that hung on the wall to her left.

Opening the cabinet at the farthest end, Megumi took out the tea bags before walking back toward the low end table where a tea set was placed in the center.

Upon hearing one of her guests stir, Megumi turned around just in time to see a figure collapse on the ground through the window. Her eyes widened as her heart began to pound at seeing that someone had found out where they were. She cursed herself when her eyes saw the smoke rising from the flames in the fire place. The hut might have been protected with a barrier, but the smoke would still be visible to the outside world.

Walking back over to Shura, who was now groaning, Megumi replaced the cloth over her forehead before she walked over to the door.

Quietly, she opened the door and quickly shut it behind her so that the temperature in the hut wouldn't drop. Megumi stared at the fallen figure and knew that she was protected so long as she remained the barrier. Even so, she couldn't help but feel a sickening twist in her stomach as she kept her attention on the creature.

She let out a gasp when the vampire lifted his face, and even through the curtain of rain, Megumi could make out the unmistakable features of her old savior.

"Soujiro!" cried out Megumi as she raced out of her barrier, uncaring that she was getting wet as she knelt beside her pale friend.

Touching his face, she noted just how cold he was and knew he had been in the rain for hours on end. At this rate, he would have ended up drowning or simply dying because of his condition if he had remained in the storm any longer.

Once again, she used her powers and forced the vampire to go into bat form. When the deed was done, she shielded the limp bat from the falling rain and raced back into the house after rebuilding the barrier she had so carelessly broken earlier.

"Oh, Soujiro," cried Megumi as she made him turn back into his human form. The task was too easily done and it could only mean that he was on the brink of death. His strength was depleting and he was hardly breathing.

Racing to the back of the hut, Megumi gathered the rest of the blankets and quickly began to undress the Vampire down to his undergarments. In a few minutes, she had a make-shift futon close to the fire with the other two vampires and Soujiro's shivering form tucked in with the last of the blankets she possessed.

She was grateful to find that Soujiro had not been injured in anyway, but had instead exhausted himself a bit too much. Even if she wasn't a vampire, she knew that from Soujiro's complexion, he had obviously not fed all night. Without a good collection of blood in his body, Megumi was sure that it had left him completely weak and unable to move when he had came in contact with such a powerful barrier.

Megumi simply shook her head as her mind came to the conclusion that he had gone out into the storm to look for his mate. If there was one characteristic that placed Soujiro apart from others, it was his loyalty.

After making sure Soujiro would be all right, Megumi padded back over to her low end table and finally made her cup of much needed tea.

**xXoXx**

After five attempts of falling back to sleep without seeing the face of her captor, Kaoru sat up in her futon and rubbed the temptation to sleep out of her eyes. No amount of rest was worth having to see Battousai smirk every time she reopened her eyes.

Looking around the black room, Kaoru cocked her head to the side in confusion when she saw that Battousai was no where to be seen. She couldn't even feel his unmistakable presence anymore. It was as if he had just disappeared. All that was left that was his was the ever present barrier.

A nice blush crossed her face as she heard the grumbling of her stomach. The distraction reminded her that she hadn't eaten since she left the Seta Residence and the poison she had drunk had most likely dissolved the little amount of food she had gotten into her system in her last meal.

Hand on her abdomen, Kaoru sighed. The chances of her getting food was slim to none and there was no way she was about to ask Battousai to bring her food. There was only so much someone would go through with and begging wasn't one of the things Kaoru was about to do to survive.

Her head jerked to the sound of the shoji door opening and bit her lower lip as the smell of rice reached her nose. She forced herself to look back down at her hands in her lap and ignore the vampire as he walked over to her, but she couldn't help but stare up at her new "master" as he placed a tray over her folded hands. Why would he bother to feed something that he saw as nothing but a tool? Sure, he needed her alive, but why did he give her a meal so properly?

"You can either stare at me or eat. We'll be leaving the Aoiya as soon as Yumi and Soujiro's mate are found. You'll need the strength and I'm not going to drag or carry you back to my castle," stated Battousai as their eyes met before he walked back over to his corner and sat down again.

At hearing Battousai's words, Kaoru sighed once again. She should have known better than to get her hopes up about him acting civilized to her for a reason other than his own self gain. Then again, who act civilized without a hidden agenda these days?

After staring a bit at the bowl of rice, shrimp, vegetables, and a side dish of sushi, Kaoru finally picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

The moment that she swallowed the piece of shrimp and rice, Kaoru frowned in distaste. For some reason, the food before her didn't exactly taste…normal? Even though the meal looked completely delicious and smelled wonderful, it tasted stale.

Trying a piece of sushi, Kaoru almost threw up all that she currently held in her stomach. Nothing looked wrong on the tray, but after tasting a bit of everything, Kaoru lifted the tray off of her lap and gave up on eating. There was no way she could stomach such a foul tasting meal without becoming sick. She didn't even try to take a taste of the tea.

"Not hungry?" mocked Battousai from his corner, his amber eyes glittering as the two locked gazes again.

"What did you do to the food?" demanded Kaoru angrily as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

When Battousai raised a brow in questioning, Kaoru took the bowl of rice in her hand and threw it at him. She knew that the vampire was going to catch it and asked, "Then do you mind telling me why it tastes so stale and…unappetizing?"

Kaoru watched as the vampire looked at the bowl in his hand and threw up his hands when he looked back at her expressionlessly.

"There's nothing wrong with this rice. I haven't eaten it in nearly 1000 years, but I know good rice when I see it. The problem isn't the quality of the rice, it's your new sense of taste," said Battousai in a matter-of-fact tone, making Kaoru slightly twitch.

"There is nothing wrong with me! The only time I did anything to alter my innards was when I drank the poison, even then it shouldn't have changed the type of food that I like," protested Kaoru as she wrung her hands in her lap uncomfortably and refused to look back up at the vampire.

Her breathing stopped slightly when she saw the rice return back to its place on the tray and a hand forcing her chin up. She gasped when she met Battousai's face and saw his white fangs as clear as day.

"You're wrong, my little sorceress. The poison changed you dramatically. My blood forced the poison out of your blood, but how do you think you had enough of my blood to get it out of your entire system? Your body made more, your heart pumped more. When the venom had completely vanished, your heart was so use to pumping out more of my blood than yours that it still continues to do so. A vampire, once turned, has his or her innards destroyed except for the heart and brain. Your organs are dying and the rest is being transformed. You sped up the process of becoming like me," smirked the Vampire.

Taking advantage of Kaoru's confused state, Battousai brushed his fangs lightly against her lips before pulling back and letting go of her chin.

"The only substance a vampire bothers to drink is blood. You won't feel satisfied until after your first kill," said Battousai as he stood up and went back toward his corner to grab his katana.

Kaoru snapped out of her thoughts and her denial when Battousai lifted her up by her left shoulder painfully enough to leave a good bruise.

"We're going to solve your own hunger problem before we leave. You're lucky I haven't fed yet," said the Vampire as he practically dragged Kaoru toward the shoji door. He only stopped when Kaoru broke free of his grip.

Annoyed, he turned around and faced her once again.

"It's either you feed or die," stated Battousai.

At seeing Kaoru shake her head from side to side, the Prince of the Night growled. She wasn't going to make it easy and he knew she would rather die than become what he was.

"I refuse to be like you," said Kaoru as she pointed an accusing finger at him while tears streamed down her face. She knew that she couldn't possibly stop the process, but that didn't mean that she would give into it.

Instead of rolling his eyes, Battousai sent her a well pointed glare. She was taking up valuable time where they could be catching a prey, and if she didn't hurry up, he'd end up feeding off of _her_.

Suddenly, Battousai grinned as an idea came into his mind. It was this grin of reassurance that made his possession shudder while backing up. With every step she took, he took two until he had her cornered into another corner of the room.

"Please don't," begged the teenager she slouched down against the walls until she could properly move her arms around her knees.

Getting down on both knees, Battousai simply lifted her head up from her knees and captured her lower lip with his fangs. If he hadn't interfered in the girl's dreams, he would have never gotten the idea to feed the girl in such a manner. Dying wasn't an option for the sorceress at the moment.

Feeling Kaoru hitting his shoulders and trying to get him to let go, Battousai sank his fangs deeper into her lip until blood poured like a river into his mouth. He didn't even let go when Kaoru bit down on his upper lip, but instead he grabbed onto her back and forced her onto her feet when he felt her begin to suckle. The feeling of having blood leave his body in such a manner was so odd and unfamiliar that it made him pull back when he felt more blood leave him than all of his battles combined. Kaoru had managed to take more blood from him than any of his opponents ever did, even altogether they had never come this close.

Battousai stared into Kaoru's red brimmed eyes and licked his own healing lips when he saw the girl's two visible fangs. He slowly began to lap at the sorceress's lower lip where he had bitten until it had completely healed. If Kaoru wasn't satisfied, he was certain she would have bitten him again.

He pulled back once again after he had licked the last of the blood away and couldn't help but stare at the bundle in his arms. The feeling that he had actually transformed the woman standing against him made him smile. Of all the things he had done before, this was the first time he had bothered to make another into something like him.

"Warm," whispered Kaoru as she unconsciously wrapped an arm around Battousai's neck and leaned her head on his chest before closing her eyes in content. The sensation was awkward--albeit very much enjoyable--and all that she wanted to do at the moment was sleep like a baby after suckling on a bottle warm milk.

"You're delusional," said Battousai as he stroked her hair with his right hand, the other holding her to him.

"Mmm," was the simple reply as Kaoru nuzzled her face deeper into his chest until she met flesh.

"You'll need sleep for tomorrow my precious vampire sorceress," soothed Battousai as he carefully picked her up and walked back over to the futon.

When he had securely tucked her in, Battousai shook his head as he watched Kaoru sleep. If things went on this way, he was going to have to feed enough for both of them.

Once satisfied that Kaoru was sound asleep, the immortal walked back toward his corner and leaned against the wall with his katana propped up on his shoulder. In a few seconds, his eyes closed and the barrier around him began to glow with power. The darkness of his barrier mingled slightly with a shade of midnight blue until those outside were actually able to see the barrier that was meant only to protect those within. Its power seemed almost unlimited.


	16. Reassurances

Chapter SIXTEEN:**_ Reassurances_**

The sounds of groaning and movement woke the shape-shifter from her light nap at her low-end table, making her snap her head up painfully in the direction of the disturbance. Her hand immediately went to her neck, which was now throbbing from the sudden movement.

"Anata?" whispered a soft and confused voice, reminding the violet-robed doctor exactly whom she had brought back to her hut.

Not knowing what else to do, Megumi kept still in her spot in the back of the hut and watched the scene unfold before her. She forced herself not to help the injured green-  
haired vampire, deciding to transform into a small bird instead, just in case the vampires sensed her eyes upon them.

It hurt her inwardly to see Shura wobbly sit up and crawl the little ways to her husband with great effort. She could see the bandages around the vampire's shoulder slipping as the large black robe on her fragile body slid down slightly from her movements.

"Oh, Soujiro," smiled Shura as she brushed away her husband's drying hair from his closed eyes with lean and nimble fingers. Her long nails sparkled as the light from the fire reflected off of her clear claws and the angle at which the flame hit her face made her seem almost angelic. The paleness of her face did nothing to destroy the serene image that she created by just sitting beside her mate.

Unable to smile, Megumi cocked her violet head happily when she saw Shura gently kiss her sleeping prince on the forehead. It was then that she realized just how much Shura really did love Soujiro and it made her wonder why the vampire hadn't been awoken earlier.

Not wanting to disturb the couple, Megumi kept quiet as Shura rested her head on Soujiro's chest. She looked on almost enviously as Shura closed her eyes and drifted back into the land of slumber peacefully.

When certain that Shura had once again fallen asleep, Megumi became human and walked silently over to the pair.

"Sweet dreams," said Megumi as she took the blankets Shura was once wrapped in and tucked it around them.

Her eyes moved toward the dying embers in the fireplace and she slowly she bent her head as her tears threatened to fall. This was the first time she was able to see the fires of her home fade without her beloved little sister by her side.

Adding another piece of wood before it could completely vanish, Megumi moved back over toward the window she had previously stared out of only to find Soujiro collapsing.

"_Return back to me soon, Misao,"_ thought Megumi desperately as she watched the drizzle of rain fall from the crying Heavens.

**xXoXx**

The subsiding of the storm gave the impression of a better day until it began to pour once more. This time lightning gathered in pairs and thunder echoed loud enough to shake the homes surrounding the glorious Shinsei Temple. All around the temple was nothing but darkness, however, around the holy area itself was a golden outline seen by all who weren't mortal.

Four shadows standing on the concrete floor before the temple remained unmoving beneath their umbrellas as they stared up at the golden sign that held the temple's name proudly.

"Lord Aoshi?" questioned the masked lycan while they all waited patiently for their next orders.

"Let's go," answered the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu as he made to walk into the Shinsei Temple.

His eyes flashed white for a split second before he felt himself being thrown backwards. The numbness that he felt conquered the coldness he would have felt from the raining bullets that were now plummeting down upon him. The only thing that kept him from falling on the cold cement stairs that led up to the shrine were the arms of the lycan Shikijou. His umbrella lay forgotten on the ground as he was helped back to his feet by his loyal men.

"Lord Aoshi, what happened?" asked the shortest of the four as he looked in the general direction that the invisible barrier existed.

"The priest inside must be very powerful if even Lord Aoshi could not sense his barrier," stated Shikijou while he moved his own umbrella to shield his leader from the pounding rain.

"The Shinsei Temple is known for its purity. It seems that the barrier itself can determine if a creature has a pure soul or a tainted one," observed Hannya, his eyes staring up at the golden characters above their heads that meant the "Pure Temple."

"What do we do now, Lord Aoshi?" asked Beshimi as he stood beside the scarred lycan, his masked peer, and the Okashira.

"Getting inside is impossible for the time being. We'll come back a different night," said Aoshi, stepping out into the rain and walking a few feet to retrieve the umbrella that had fallen out of his hold when the barrier rejected him. He shook off the water that managed to get on his trench coat when he was safely sheltered under his umbrella again.

"The barrier will still be just as strong, milord," stated Beshimi when Aoshi moved back over to them.

"Its power doesn't change," said Aoshi, "but ours do."

Smiling as they realized what their leader planned to do, the three nodded in recognition before following him down the temple steps toward the Aoiya.

It was only a matter of time before they retrieved what they came for. After all, the full moon was just around the corner.

**xXoXx**

Warmth, comfort, and safety wrapped around the sorceress's form, making her smile as the old emotions came back to her. The feelings she had thought were lost since her parent's deaths returned and this time it didn't seem like anyone was going to take it away from her ever again.

Snuggling deeper into the depths of her futon, Kaoru frowned when she felt her fingers touch something wet and the foul smell of decay threatened to make her gag.

Slowly, Kaoru sat up.

Keeping her eyes closed when a breeze swirled around her form, the sorceress furrowed her brows when the familiar chill of the wind against her skin did not accompany the rustle of her tangled hair. She frowned when she noted that she couldn't feel anything anymore, not even the warmth she had felt only seconds before. It was as if her ability to comprehend the change in temperature had left her.

Still trying to adjust to her new discovery, Kaoru didn't move from her spot, letting the raindrops fall upon her pale face. It was odd how she could still feel the prickles of the water against her clothes and skin, yet she could not feel the iciness of it. She was certain that the bitter cold always accompanied the rain, but why she did not experience the bone-chilling of it now left her confused.

Leisurely, Kaoru opened her eyes and wasn't surprised to find the shoji door agape, allowing the storm to wreak havoc inside the room. The sight of Battousai's barrier vacant around the shoji made her question the vampire's intentions.

The sound of the rain hitting the wooden planks suddenly became louder and louder until it threatened to destroy her eardrums and leave her deaf.

'_So loud...' _Thought Kaoru as she shut her eyes again to try and block out the pounding of the rain beside her. Even as she moved her hands over her ears she could still hear the loud rhythmic thumping of the water bullets.

Kaoru felt her body vibrate as the sound of thunder echoed through her veins while the light of the bolts of electricity outside flashed before her closed eyes, making her see nothing else but red strings from the veins that raced through her eyelids. It wasn't until the smell of death and salt lingering in the air reached her nostrils that she snapped her eyes open.

Hesitantly, Kaoru moved her hands away from her ears and blearily got to her feet before she noticed that the smell of decomposition, as well as the dramatic increase of the perfume of salt, was coming from her own body. She felt herself wanting to shiver, but discovered that she could no longer do such an action. Without being able to feel the cold, she could no longer shiver. It was odd really, when had she not been able to tremble when something absolutely terrified her?

Knocking the thought out of her mind for the time being, Kaoru looked down at the futon instead. She frowned when she realized that her futon wasn't entirely wet because of the rain, but instead mostly because of her own liquids seeping out of her pores once her body told itself it no longer needed acids to break down food or sodium chloride to survive. There was just too much salt on the futon for it to have been all from the pouring water outside, and there was no possible way that the rain could have melted away the fabric of the flat bed.

Kaoru groaned as she remembered what her captor had told her earlier before she fell into a void of darkness. A changed vampire had his or her innards destroyed, except for the heart and brain. The veins and the remaining blood were obliviously spared, while the other liquids that made up her mortal body were filtered out of her system.

The novice finally acknowledged her enhanced alterations when she realized she could see clearly through the curtain of water outside and could easily spot all the objects in the courtyard as if all the light in the galaxy shined upon it.

Her entire world had changed overnight--or was it day?--and now she saw, heard, tasted, felt, and smelled everything for what it was. She still wasn't sure if it was a bless or a curse.

Pulling her gaze away from the outside world, Kaoru did a once over on herself, and noticed immediately that her nails had grown longer and undeniably sharper while her skin seemed almost perfectly white. She watched on in fascination at how translucent her veins and muscles appeared now. It was eerie how she was awe struck by her own appearance and yet a part of her was still denying her metamorphosis into a vampire, even if all the evidence was indeed overwhelming.

Not wanting to get lost in her thoughts, she turned her attention to her futon once more and jumped back toward the open shoji when she saw it burst into flames. Her eyes flickered to the corner of the room instinctively as the cackles of the fire died down when it was pounded out by the rain. She ignored the water splashing against her loose hair and robes as she met amber orbs.

"Your acids have already destroyed the futon beyond repair. There's no point in keeping something that isn't of any further use," explained Battousai from the shadows of his own power.

Kaoru glared at the calmness in the immortal's voice before she titled her head in the direction of the rain seeping into the room, her motion silently asking an obvious question.

"I thought you would have appreciated the shower," Battousai answered when he appeared in the very spot the futon had once been.

"How much longer do I have to wait until I stop smelling like a dead corpse?" Kaoru asked, wrinkling her nose for emphasis.

She frowned at the smirk on Battousai's lips and closed her eyes at the same time he snapped his fingers. The familiar sensation of being pulled forward felt extraordinarily relaxing with her new sensitivity and the only thing she wasn't surprised about was finding herself in Battousai's arms when she reopened her eyes.

"My blood has already dissolved the last of your organs. Your sweet scent will return in time," reassured Battousai.

Kaoru watched mesmerized as he trailed a finger from her left temple to her throat, the swift movements of his finger catching her eye. She was grateful that she wasn't able to feel the coldness of Battousai's finger and was doubly glad that she wasn't shivering, which would have given the vampire an excuse to call her a weakling.

No longer wanting to follow Battousai's burning trail consciously, Kaoru kept her eyes from his traveling finger. While she was looking for something else to keep her attention on, Kaoru stared in wonder at a blue spark from the ceiling that caught her attention for a few seconds before the sudden loss of the weight of her wet robes made she look down at her attire.

Kaoru couldn't help but take a step away from the immortal as she realized that she was now fully clothed in black from head to toe. Her eyes fell upon her new pointy boots, the black pants and shirt that was covered with a matching trench coat, and the belt around her waist. As she touched her hair, she noticed it was tied back in a high ponytail and was completely dry. She had a feeling that she herself looked as if she actually belonged in the Vampire Society with the way her white skin contrasted against her clothing.

What she was really grateful for though was that she no longer smelled like a dead body, but instead a person who had just spilt Jasmine tea all over his or herself.

She suddenly found herself thinking about how much her new wardrobe made her look almost like the female version of Battousai. After all, the only differences were their height, hair color, body structure, the shades of their eyes, and their weaponry, which while she adorned nothing, Battousai had his katana and wakizashi at his sides. She was surprised to find that Battousai now carried the sakabatou beside his katana instead of the wakizashi, and the black starred dagger now hung carelessly his belt. He seemed ready for battle and a deadly one at that.

Obvious they didn't look alike, they simply dressed alike. However, Kaoru was sure that what would confuse the other Damned Ones about who was who from a far away distance were their indistinct auras. Their powers were so completely intertwined that it didn't seem natural that they were two instead of one being. How it was possible was a question even Kaoru didn't know. She was certain that the other vampires who embraced the mortals never had their blood so finely mixed with that of their creations.

The sound of the immortal's voice snapped the sorceress out of her mental comparison between them, and something in the way that he spoke made her focus her entire attention on him.

"We're leaving. You're powerful enough now that you won't need to rest the short distance from here to the Black Castle," stated Battousai.

Kaoru's eyes moved toward the barriers that surrounded the room when he finished and saw that the barriers had vanished from their previous duties of protecting him and his 'tool.'

"What of the others that await your instructions here?" Kaoru questioned as she witnessed yet another bubble of ink form around them to shield them against the ongoing rage of the rain outside.

"They can handle their own problems. It was faint, but I felt the aura of the two that were kidnaped within the center of the forest. Soujiro was already there with them when I felt it. Their only remaining issue is with the demons," said Battousai as he walked out of the room with a silent confidence that not even Kaoru could hear.

"Why didn't you feel it before?" asked Kaoru curiously as she walked behind the immortal, just as she had done when they were traveling to Kyoto. It still astounded her how easily she could speak with the vampire known as death itself while others simply cowered or held great respect when addressing him.

"It was hidden by a holy barrier. Your own pure powers combined with mine allowed me to see past it," responded Battousai. Kaoru frowned at how casual he sounded. One would have thought he was simply speaking of the weather from his tone of voice, but his words themselves would have stunned the listener speechless otherwise.

"I would have thought that my own would have counterbalanced yours," admitted Kaoru in a soft voice, her eyes lowering to the ground when they passed the destroyed pond. The scene only made her remember how stupid trying to escape from Battousai's clutches really was. Even with her new powers, she was still no match for the experienced Prince of the Night that walked ahead of her. She had to admit though, she didn't exactly hate the vampire.

In fact, she held nothing against him changing her, nothing against him at all. He had protected her from the other prejudice vampires, had saved her countless times from death, he hadn't hurt her physically, hadn't taken away her innocence, or rather what she had left of it now that she was no longer completely human, and all he asked in return was for her obedience. Really, what was there to hate about the vampire except for his cocky attitude of superiority?

Kaoru's musings were cut sort when Battousai finally answered.

"Yours is too weak to do such a task, but strong enough to enhance my own abilities," said Battousai matter-of-fact-ly as he cut through the center of the court yard toward the large doors that led to the main area where the Elders had last met together.

Kaoru followed expectantly when the shield around them went down the same time they stepped into the roof covered housing area behind the restaurant. She knew that they'd have to walk through this area and into the restaurant, which had one of the only doors that led in and out of the Aoiya. There was only one other way to get inside and that by jumping over a wall, something Kaoru had unfortunately learned when she was trying to escape.

Keeping her vow to Amaterasu was going to take more time than she originally thought it would.

Staying directly behind Battousai, Kaoru avoided all eye contact from the amused and baffled semi-immortals that had awoken before she had.

**xXoXx**

"Tamono, Kajiki, what have you done to the girl?" demanded an older demon in uniform as he eyed the contents surrounding the body of the unconscious shape-shifter on the dirt ground.

Hearing their leader speak, the two immediately turned around from their view of their captive and bowed respectively.

"Kawaji, sir, we weren't expecting you to come. We were certain you would have stayed with the half breed," said the shorter of the two.

"I have better things to do than watch over a blunder, Sadashiro. What poison did you give the creature and how long has it been in her system? She seems close to death," stated Toshiyoshi as he walked closer to the unmoving body.

Dark coal eyes narrowed at the red stained ropes at the girl's wrists and ankles, his nose twitched slightly from the smell of vomit and blood that wafted into his nostrils when a wind picked it up.

"The poison is just beginning to destroy her from the inside out. It's been eating at her for a whole day now. Common poisons don't immediately kill as you know. She couldn't take the pain and blacked out a few seconds before you arrived, sir," answered Eibin this time, keeping his step exactly one stride behind his superior.

Looking up and down at the girl once again, Toshiyoshi Kawaji shook his head, no woman or child should have to go through such pain.

"Give her the antidote. Lord Takimi has ordered us to leave for the time being and all of our captives are to come with us, including the one you so carelessly tried to kill," said Toshiyoshi as he watched Sadashiro Kajiki shift uncomfortably from his gaze.

"Yes, sir," muttered Sadashiro, his greasy hair getting into his eyes as he bowed his head.

"Did Shigure give any other instructions, Toshiyoshi?" asked Eibin, dropping all formalities for the time being.

The older demon ran a hand through his neatly combed brown hair as if contemplating on how to phrase his next few sentences.

"We've been ordered to move out toward the ocean again until further instructions from Lord Takimi. We're going back to Yokohama tonight," explained Toshiyoshi as his fingers fiddled with his mustache.

"Why are we going back there for? We can effectively hide here, right under the gaze of the vampires and lycans. The amulets worked for concealing ourselves from Battousai," stated Sadashiro from his kneeling position beside their prisoner's head, his knees as far away from the liquids around her head as possible. He kept an ear out to listen to the others talk while he took out a small black vile from one of his pockets and opened the cork with a clawed hand.

"I'm certain that if Battousai could not sense Sadashiro, then the others of his kindred and Aoshi's wouldn't be able to either," added Eibin when they received no answer from the aged youkai.

"Lord Takimi knows what he's doing. We have no right to question his motives and actions, but I will tell you this. Something dark is lingering in the air, something not right. There was a major disturbance in the atmosphere earlier tonight and I know you all felt it. It's a dormant power and I have a feeling Shigure wants us as far away from it as possible. We can't risk losing our numbers again," said Toshiyoshi seriously.

Sadashiro rolled his eyes as he grabbed his captive's cheeks with one hand and squeezed until her lips parted. He frowned as the smell of rotting food reached his nose and quickly stuffed the vial into the girl's mouth. His other hand went to her neck to make sure that the creature swallowed it all. If he had things his way, he'd have killed her himself instead of having to deal with her.

"You know we can't afford to lose again. This time we have an advantage, but Battousai has at least two of the Seven Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell on his side that we know of. The death of one of our comrades proves that his weapons can destroy us. Last time we only had to deal with the Lycan leader and an Elder, now all of the Elders are joining together to stop us. Until we know if Battousai is joining them are not, we can no longer do anything so rash as tonight," spoke Toshiyoshi gravely, his eyes darkening at the mention of failing a second time.

"Well, it was the stupid demon's fault for going after the weapons in the first place! He should have known that Battousai wouldn't have let anything happen to them," spat out Sadashiro as he laid Misao back down on the ground and threw away the empty vial into the depths of the forest.

Dusting his hands on his pants, Sadashiro stood up and smirked as he noticed the shape-shifter stirring a bit from her slumber.

"It is true that the demon was idiotic, but we still cannot risk being thrown back into the shadows after fifty years of fortifying ourselves. It would be disgraceful," reminded Eibin in their lord's favor.

"I'm sure you're sick and tired of losing by now, Kajiki," said Toshiyoshi knowingly.

"Fine, I'll go along with you toward Yokohama. What do we do with her then?" asked Sadashiro as he shoved a thumb in Misao's direction.

"I'll take her to Toki to have her cleaned up. She'll less likely try to run off with another woman around who might get put in danger," said Eibin, walking over to Misao and slowly untying the ropes.

"How can you be so sure?" demanded Sadashiro suspiciously, his voice clearly stating that he did not trust their prisoner.

"You said that she came through the window to protect the three in the room, didn't you? There are very few like her and those that are tend to think of others before themselves. She won't endanger Toki once she finds out how kind Toki really is and her being helped by a demon will change her aspects about our kind," explained Eibin, quickly getting rid of the other knots.

Not wanting to argue, Sadashiro shrugged his shoulders indifferently and followed their group leader back toward their campsite and awaiting army while his comrade took care of their 'extra' luggage.

**xXoXx**

Eyes slowly drifting open, the vampire's instincts to get up and feed were stopped when the unfamiliar weight on his chest registered. A thousand questions raced through his mind as he realized he wasn't out in the rain from his search and just as quickly as they had come, they vanished when he heard a familiar voice whisper his title.

"Just a few more minutes, anata," spoke an all too familiar voice into his dried chest.

Soujiro's eyes widened as he realized why the voice sounded so memorable and he was slightly disappointed when he found out that all of his undergarments remained on his body.

"Shura?" asked Soujiro almost disbelievingly, relief flooding him when he leaned his weight on his elbows to look over his wife's healing form.

The smell of blood was still fresh in the air and he couldn't help but smile gratefully down at his mate.

Knowing that she was still alive and doing well made him relax, the worry that had threatened to kill him subsiding dramatically.

"Just a few more minutes, anata. Let me come with you," muffled Shura as she snuggled deeper into his hold, her arms wrapping around his waist so he wouldn't leave.

Chuckling softly, Soujiro smoothed out the vampire's hair with his right hand, gently untangling her hair until his hand moved through it as if it were water.

"You know, you two look perfect together," said another vampire knowingly when the sound of Shura's even breaths were heard. "I always knew you married her for another reason other than to satisfy our parents."

Turning his head to his left, he felt his smile widen at the sight of his sister clothed in red and lying on her stomach with her chin cupped in her hands so she could watch them clearly. He had to remember to thank the one that saved them the moment he found out just who was responsible. It annoyed him that the scent of a fourth person in the hut wasn't detectable and the fumes on them held no trace that anyone else had handled them.

"I'm glad to see that you're well, Yumi. Lord Shishio has been searching for you the moment we found out you were missing. Did you get a glimpse at who kidnaped you here or the one that attacked the Aoiya?" asked Soujiro seriously, remembering the unpleasantness he had felt when he realized he had failed his wife and sister.

The female's crimson locks, which were usually placed up neatly in a bun, now cascaded down her shoulders as she shook her head no. Her dark gray-brown eyes met her brother's saddened gaze before falling on Shura's green hair.

"If she hadn't risked her life to save me without a second thought, I would have never remembered that she originated from the seas," said Yumi almost thoughtfully. "This is the first time I've realized how similar her hair looks to the shade of the Caribbean's waters," smiled Yumi as she lowered her arms and moved her chin onto her folded hands.

Soujiro gave a smile to the compliment for his unavailable wife before he too rested on the covers of his futon, rearranging the blanket onto Shura's shoulders. His smile became pure as he felt her lips curve upwards in content against his skin.

"Mother and Father always did prefer loyalty over quality," stated Yumi quietly.

"Are you suggesting that those who travel the seas are loyal and _that_ was the reason why our parents chose Shura to be my bride, because she came from a pirate ship?" asked Soujiro amused as he turned his head in his sister's direction.

"Of course! Pirates are considerably loyal and obedient to their captain and that's a known fact. She didn't even know I was her sister-in-law, yet she was willing to die to make sure I remained alive. A true pirate spirit indeed," nodded Yumi as she made her point.

Soujiro suppressed a chuckle and closed his eyes for a few seconds of sweet bliss, knowing full well his sibling would once again interrupt.

"Why didn't you come running when we first began to scream? Even if you couldn't detect the enemy, you should have been able to hear us," said Yumi as she turned on her back and pulled the blankets over her bosom.

"How did you know we couldn't detect the enemy?" asked Soujiro instead, his sister's sudden statement making him turn his head in her direction again.

"I myself didn't know we were going to be attacked until we were. I might be younger than you, Soujiro, but I know a covered aura from an outside force when I see it. The demon had something around his neck and it was glittering silver, red, and white even without the moon's assistance," recalled Yumi almost thoughtfully as she stared up at the ceiling.

Taking the information in, Soujiro frowned when he realized that there were still too many questions that needed answers.

"We didn't hear you scream. By the time we heard something and ran up the stairs to investigate, all of you were missing. Your blood, as well as Shura's and Tomoe's, were the only things we found. However, our brother flew out the window right before I went searching for you two," said Soujiro, adjusting his position so that his wife would be more comfortable in her rest. Weakened vampires still needed their rest like any normal mortal.

"Probably sensed something that had to do with his mate," snorted Yumi.

"He doesn't have a mate, he has a possession," corrected Soujiro as he remembered what the immortal had proclaimed the night before.

"And I suppose you don't see Shura as your possession? Yours to protect and keep forever?" countered Yumi as she sat up on her knees and looked down at her brother knowingly.

Looking up from his lying position on the ground, Soujiro couldn't help but blush. Although he was certain he felt his cheeks warm, he highly doubted it turned red. He didn't have enough blood in his system to do such a mortal act and for that he was thankful.

"I'm certain that our brother had more important business to attend to. I only question if he has been able to find our location. The barrier around the hut seems a lot more advanced than those pitiful ones the humans try to make," noted Yumi as she felt the barrier that was keeping them from leaving the small, yet comfortable hut.

"Do you honestly think he'd come for us, even if he does happen to know where we currently reside?" asked Soujiro in hushed tones as he felt Shura stir.

"Truthfully, I'd say no. Only the weak need saviors," recited Yumi from one of her lord's speeches to his men. She wrapped her slender arms around her knees as an image of her love passed her mind.

Sitting up so that Shura sat in his lap and was able to rest her head on his shoulder, Soujiro remained silent as he bit his left wrist. He moved the bleeding wound to his lover's lips and allowed her to suckle on it with a smile.

"You're already low on blood as it is," Yumi frowned as she turned her head away from the intimate exchange done only willingly between lovers.

"She needs it more than I do. You both lost a lot of energy, and as you've implied, it's dangerous to be so low in blood," stated Soujiro as he kept his eyes on his feeding mate. "Would you like some too or would you rather wait? We can't really leave this place to go and feed, even if we were at full strength."

Not hearing a word from his sister, Soujiro kept his entire attention on his wife. He smiled when Shura stopped lapping at his blood and watched amusingly as his wound healed completely. He didn't bother to move as Shura rested once more against him. His attention didn't leave his mate until a purple feather by the fireplace caught his eye.

"Something the matter?" interrupted Yumi.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking that we should stay here tonight and then leave tomorrow after the sun has gone down. I'm certain the barrier would be gone by then," said Soujiro confidently.

"Certain?" questioned Yumi warily.

Smiling, Soujiro answered reassuringly, "I'm willing to bet my life on it."

**xXoXx**

Nothing, not even the training of hundreds of years would have been able to prepare the lycan leader for what he saw when he entered his headquarters.

The moment he had walked into the Aoiya, Aoshi knew something was wrong, knew that he would be greeted by something unbelievable when he stepped into the housing area behind the restaurant. Even with the foreshadowing of his senses, he was still baffled when he entered the area, although his face showed none of it. However, those already in the room were openly gawking at the pair who had just arrived.

Dark icy eyes looked at the two figures in the back doorway. If the couple didn't possess such distinct features, he would have mistaken them for twins. From the possessive aura one of them was clearly revealing, they were far from having a sibling-like relationship.

It wasn't their appearance that startled him inwardly, it was their intermixed auras--the same exact aura combination created when two beings bonded. Never had the werewolf expected the cold-hearted Battousai to actually claim someone with such fervor, and a sorceress at that. Of course the vampire had stated his possession earlier, but he hadn't exactly believed that Battousai would actually go so far as to exchange blood with the very creature his kindred hated. He was certain that the others had thought the same way and would have passed it over as ludicrous rumors had they not witnessed it, or rather felt it, for themselves.

The oldest of the lycans bowing before the two pulled Aoshi out of his thoughts and made him realize that none of them had bowed earlier when they were supposed to upon the vampire's entrance. Most of them had been too shocked to remember.

Simultaneously, all of the others bowed deep, including Aoshi and his men.

The black ink that was surrounding the two wasn't just creepy, it held a promise of death that made a few of the weaker creatures shudder.

It was Okina again, Aoshi noted, that dared to do speak first, "Lord Battousai, are you leaving so soon?"

The lycan lords–Enishi, Jineh, Shougo, and Yamagata–in Aoshi's opinion, held hope in their eyes that what Okina suggested was true. It would not only even out the powers of the Elders in the area, but it would also give them--the werewolves--a significant advantage. The vampire Elders were on lycan territory after all.

"I will be leaving for the Black Castle the moment I get the information that I want. Saitou," said Battousai.

From the flinches the sinfully silky words created, Aoshi was certain that everyone noticed the deadly acid in their lord's voice. It was obvious that the vampire had gotten stronger, just as the sorceress had gotten darker.

There was definitely something considerably different about the girl, Aoshi acknowledged. It wasn't just her aura either, it was her entire demeanor. She held herself proudly behind Battousai and clearly revealed to all who cared to look at her that she was defiant in a subtle, yet dangerous way. All of this reflected from her eyes. There was no doubt that Battousai's ego had seeped into her system during their aura, or rather blood exchange.

This time, the movements of the amber-eyed Elder made him disperse his previous musings. He watched as Saitou walked over to Battousai and held out a necklace with a silver string attached to it. The hisses of Okon and Omasu, who were closer to the immortal, assured him that it was indeed pure silver.

It seemed that all the lycans were listening intently while the Vampire spoke.

"A source has indicated that there have indeed been large shipments of silver from Ogasawara Island to Japan in the last couple of months, including shipments of slaves and white wood. Who has been sending the cargo is still a mystery. Some of our best men are handling the case as we speak," stated Saitou.

While Saitou was reciting what he had learned, Aoshi half listened and half watched Battousai take the necklace by the thin silver string. He raised a brow unconsciously when the vampire held the cross before the sorceress's eyes. The sudden fear he saw in the teenager's eyes startled him. There should have been no reason why such a pure creature would be afraid of a holy item. Something was indeed amiss.

Being a werewolf, Aoshi knew that the last remaining Kamiya was innocent, but Battousai's undeniable scent was all over her. Had he not known the girl, who he had tried to capture not long ago to get the seven weapons, Aoshi would have mistaken her for a vampire. He could no longer sense the mortal aura underneath the undeniable claiming of Battousai.

"Are you all right, Lady Kamiya? You seem a bit pale," commented Omasu as politely as possible when Battousai moved the cross away from Kaoru's eyes.

"I'm fine," was the whispered reply as Kaoru shrunk deeper behind Battousai once more.

Aoshi faintly recalled the sorceress looking over Battousai's shoulder to have a glance at the necklace before the Vampire lifted the cross by the silver strings to her eyes. Horror had etched its way onto her face for a split second as she stared at the white wood.

The lycan eyed the so called Prince of the Night and narrowed his eyes into slits when he saw the intense glare Battousai was giving the cross. If there had been any emotion in Battousai's eyes, Aoshi was sure that it would have been anger. Anger for what, Aoshi wasn't quite positive, but he had a hunch that it might have had to do with Kaoru's previous reaction.

"Would you like me to send a few of our troops over to Ogasawara Island to make sure no further shipments are made?" asked Saitou cautiously as he looked at Battousai's taut body, his voice revealing no real sign of fear or vigilance.

"There's no reason to go all the way to the island only to get caught in a trap by the demons. Have the ports closed off from Ogasawara and make an announcement of the obligatory destruction of these necklaces," ordered Battousai, his gaze still on the white wood.

Aoshi, along with everyone else in the room, except save Kaoru, eyed the Battousai warily about his decision. Did he really expect them to be able to destroy such necklaces? Neither species could get that close to the necklaces without losing a bit of their energy. With just hundreds put together, none of them would be able to get within even a few meters of the blessed items without being destroyed.

"One necklace would put any ordinary vampire or lycan to rest, a dozen or so could kill hundreds if they're placed together and used by a priest," reminded Enishi, his voice indicating his annoyance about the advantages the demons held.

"Are you questioning me?" asked Battousai.

Aoshi was among the few that didn't take a step back when the cross in Battousai's hand was crushed into oblivion. Not even the white dust or the blood within the object remained. The elimination of a holy cross by a vampire was thought to be impossible, even for Battousai himself. Once again, the vampire had proved logic wrong.

No one spoke for the longest of times as the silver chain that been attached to the cross floated to the ground. In a burst of black and blue, the silver thread vanished. It wasn't the disappearance of the silver that astonished the remaining Elders, but instead the extra color that appeared to destroy the element. The heat of the flame was incredible, they all had to admit, but where the dark shade of blue came from was questioning. Lord Battousai was known for having an aura that was completely made of black energy and recently dark magic.

The Lycan leader turned his head toward the entrance of the housing area the same time his men and those inside did. They all observed quietly as the rice paper-made door was snapped open to reveal the hunched over figure of the vampire lord, Shishio Makoto.


	17. The Truth

Chapter SEVENTEEN: **_The Truth_**

Waking up to the taste of metallic copper and vomit in your mouth isn't exactly a grand experience, especially when you're not only tied by merciless ropes, but also stark naked and completely exposed before the eyes of a total stranger.

Immediately sitting up, Misao took in a huge gulp of air, her eyes widening when an onigiri was shoved into her mouth before she could scream bloody murder.

"Please don't yell, Miss," begged the young woman seated next to the shape-shifter on her knees, her eyes apologetic. "My apologies that you had to wake up like this, but Eibin wouldn't allow me to untie you, at least not until I'm certain you won't fight back and try to escape."

Confused beyond words, Misao only stared at the demoness. The last thing she remembered was being tortured by an insane demon, and now here she was, naked as the day she was born, and being force fed by a seemingly kind demon.

The Heavens were being either very generous or extremely cruel with its sick sense of humor.

"I'm Toki," introduced the demoness once Misao began chewing her onigiri cautiously to make sure that it wasn't poisoned.

Still wary of the female demon before her, the shape-shifter contemplated whether or not to tell the demoness her name. Then again, you couldn't really speak properly to a person if you didn't know the person's name.

Swallowing her dislike for demons, and the rather delicious onigiri that was given to her, Misao replied quietly. "My name's Misao." She coughed when she heard how meek her voice was from all of her screaming the night before, or at least she thought it was one day after she had been taken as a prisoner.

Clearing her throat once more, Misao asked in a fairly normal tone, "Where am I?"

Ignoring her stomach's grumbling for more food, Misao allowed her green eyes to take in the small room she had been imprisoned in. She frowned when she realized that the room was completely bare, save for the futon she was currently seated on, herself, and the demoness. Even if she somehow got out of her bindings, there was nothing she could use to help defend herself with. She highly doubted she had enough strength to even fight back against one simple demon.

Looking down at herself, Misao was surprised to see that the wounds she had received from the demons, and the self-inflected ones, had been healed. In fact, if she hadn't known better, she would have thought she had never fought a single battle in her entire life. Not a single scar or bruise decorated her pale skin.

She couldn't help but feel a bit awkward when she realized that her recovery, and her currently clean state, was most likely due to the demon seated beside her.

After concluding that she was perfectly fine, and that all she needed was a bit of rest to fully recover, Misao smiled at the demoness. However, her gratefulness turned to pure horror as she recalled her state of dress or rather lack thereof.

A healthy blush of pink colored her cheeks as modesty replaced her previous fit of indignation and confusion when she first woke up.

At seeing the girl's reaction, Toki herself blushed before she immediately grabbed the green kimono beside her.

Biting her lower lip, Toki compromised, "If you promise not to try and run off, I'll untie you and help you into your new kimono, Miss Misao."

Sighing when she remembered the situation she was in, Misao nodded. It wasn't as if she had a choice in the matter, and her limbs were aching to be released.

Smiling, Toki quickly began to take off Misao's bonds.

**xXoXx **

The dark aura emitting from the vampire at the Aoiya's entrance was beyond intimidating, the storm from outside doing nothing to quench the burning fire in the Elder's ruby eyes. The crazed expression that the vampire wore was enough to put even the immortal Battousai on the edge.

Blood irises scanned the room full of lycans and vampires as its owner slowly entered the silent building, narrowing as they fell on the tallest lycan in the group.

"You," growled Shishio, his eyes flickering with malice.

Those closest to the enraged vampire took a step back, allowing him easy access to his target: Aoshi Shinomori. However, as most of the Elders backed down, Aoshi's men stepped up.

"Move," ordered Shishio, his voice dropping another octave as his pearl-like fangs elongated in anticipation for blood--death.

"It seems you've lost your touched, Shishio," stated the darker voice of Battousai when Aoshi's most loyal men refused to budge.

"Are you mocking me, _Your Highness_?" snarled Shishio, his red eyes snapping to the shorter vampire, temporarily forgetting his old prey.

"And what if I am?" smirked Battousai.

The Elders immediately dispersed to the sides, forming a pathway between the immortal and the angered vampire. It wasn't a wise decision to get in the way of two fighting creatures, especially if those creatures just so happen to be very powerful Elders.

Flexing his sharpened claws, Shishio took a step forward, stopping when his gaze fell on the sorceress behind his newest opponent.

A sadistic smirk played on his features as he sensed the girl's aura.

"Mating with the enemy, I see," said Shishio almost triumphantly as he straightened to his full height and met Battousai's golden eyes. "Who would have thought the immortal Battousai would stoop so low?"

If Battousai was fazed by the comment, he didn't show it.

"Resulting to threats and insults for your own failure, Shishio?" drawled Battousai. He took a step forward and demanded calmly, "Who are you to criticize _me_ when _you_ can't even protect your own mate?"

Shishio's eyes narrowed into slits as he stood his ground. He would not be intimidated by anyone, not even Battousai. There was no way he was going to allow the arrogant redhead to toy with him. The bastard had no right to point fingers, even if he _is_ immortal and the most feared being alive.

Fury overcoming common sense and logic, Shishio charged forward at the older vampire, his claws extending and screaming for blood in repayment for his mate's loss.

Fighting back the urge to roll his eyes, Battousai simply unsheathed his katana. He didn't even bother getting into a defensive stance as he held the katana forward between him and the charging, mummified vampire. With a twist of his wrist, a black pulse emitted from the dark diamond-forged sword, the deadly energy hurling itself toward the enraged vampire like bolts of lightning.

The other onlookers watched in terrified fascination as Shishio's form was pushed back onto the ground when he was mere inches from the blade, multiple eyes widening as splotches of blood seeped through the vampire's bandages. The very ki waves of the sword on their own had not only managed to throw Shishio back across the room, but it had also been powerful enough to actually cut the vampire in various vital points.

The lesser creatures stared in awe as Battousai sheathed his blade, shivers running down their spines as they saw Battousai's warning glare being directed at the fallen vampire.

Getting up on his knees with slight difficulty, Shishio returned the glare as he looked up at the immortal, his anger directed at both the vampire and himself. He had been a fool to underestimate Battousai, a fool for thinking that he could protect the one he so dearly loved.

Clenching his fists, the bleeding vampire slammed his fists onto the ground, his head bowed in defeat as he fought the urge to roar over his weakness, his failure. How could he have let her down? How could he have _failed _when she needed him the most?

"She'll return to you after sunset tomorrow, Lord Shishio," reassured a soft voice, a voice so heavenly that he felt as if he truly had died and gone to Heaven by some twisted mistake.

Snapping his head up, Shishio stared into deep pools of blue, relief filling him as he saw the sorceress's sincerity. Almost immediately afterwards, Shishio felt himself bowing his head in shame for insulting the sorceress earlier.

"You needn't feel guilty, Lord Shishio," reassured Kaoru, "no one blames you for acting this way. Your mate was injured and kidnaped. You have a right to want revenge."

Ruby eyes snapped open as he stared up at the sorceress in mild astonishment. She was willing to forgive him for downgrading her before the presence of so many Elders? How was it possible for a _sorceress_ to be kind and understanding toward a vampire, the creature whose ancestors had most likely caused the endangerment of her people, of her family?

Shishio nodded in acceptance and willingly backed down. There was no point in trying to kill everyone for his loss, not when he knew that his mate would be returning to him soon. He knew that the sorceress was speaking the truth, knew it because of her eyes and the power that emitted from her. After all, the magic that coursed through her veins was known for doing the impossible.

The healing vampire would have stood and given her a proper bow of gratitude, but he knew that even if he had the strength, the amber-eyed vampire beside her would most likely kill him if he so much as walked toward her.

Shishio gave Battousai a knowing look and nodded in comprehension. He understood what the other vampire was feeling, understood perfectly well the possessiveness, the protectiveness, the lust, and love that accompanied being mated. Had he himself not been so finely attuned to having Yumi by his side at all times, he would have never thought of revolting, let alone attack another Elder, never mind Battousai himself.

"Thank you, Lady Kamiya," said Shishio as his ruby eyes softened. There was nothing deceptive in the sorceress's aura, nothing to suggest that she was lying, and right now, Shishio was more confident about his instinct than anything else.

The Elder felt his body warm in the glow of her smile, an odd sense of peace washing over him as the sorceress accepted his gratitude. There was something about the sorceress's aura that was attractive--both the purity and darkness that surrounded her were intriguing--and the way her eyes lit up in happiness and hope only enhanced her beauty. She truly was an angel, an angel that had her wings clipped after falling from Heaven because of a terrible accident.

Shishio could only silently question how it was that Battousai, the deadliest creature known in existence, had managed to obtain and claim such an innocent creature.

"If there are no other issues, then we'll be leaving," announced Battousai, his voice snapping the content silence in half.

Shishio nearly growled when the light in Kaoru's eyes dimmed at Battousai's declaration. He forced himself to calm down and not attempt to kill the other vampire again for tainting such a pure being, for being the girl's cause of unhappiness. He didn't understand why he felt this way, he just knew that he wanted to see the sorceress happy, to see her smile and laugh, just like Yumi.

Closing his eyes tightly as he felt Battousai and the sorceress pass him, Shishio bowed in respect for both creatures, getting to his feet only when he heard a door snap close and felt their distinctive auras vanish.

Composing himself, Shishio ordered a few lingering servants to get him new bandages after he had fully healed. He turned to the Elders present and asked in a more controlled voice, "So what are we going to do about those idiotic demons that have dared to go against us?"

Many of the Elders exchanged relieved glances at the vampire's return to his old self and began to fill him in with what Battousai had ordered them to do.

**xXoXx**

Kaoru kept silent as she walked behind Battousai, her mind going over the events of this evening in wonderment. So much had happened in the short amount of time: her becoming a vampire, Battousai crushing white wood, and her soothing Shishio's inner demons.

In all honesty, Kaoru found it refreshing to finally be able to help someone again and it made her all warm and giddy when she thought about how she was able to reassure Shishio of his beloved's safety. Kaoru might not have known the female vampire personally, but she had a feeling that she was quite extraordinary if Shishio, an Elder, had become so lost without her.

Kaoru smiled, she had almost forgotten how wonderful it felt to help others, how satisfying it felt to know that her help was needed, useful, and appreciated. She felt so happy that she almost skipped as she followed Battousai under their bubble. Truthfully, she rather wished they weren't protected from the rain. She really wanted to jump in the water puddles nearby. It was an odd craving that come out of nowhere, one that she really wanted to indulge.

Looking up at the rain that poured around them, Kaoru smiled as she opened up her arms and twirled around, happier memories of her childhood greeting her as she spun. However, her sudden burst of happiness ended when she bumped into something hard, a blush coloring her cheeks as she looked up and met irritated amber eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Battousai with a raised brow.

"Spinning?" answered Kaoru uncertainly with a shrug of her shoulders. She couldn't help but a giggle at the confused look on the vampire's face. She had to admit that he actually looked cute when he wasn't being so heartless.

"Why?" asked Battousai, keeping Kaoru in place by resting his hands on her hips.

Feeling slightly out of character, or more like in-character from before she met the vampire, Kaoru smiled brightly at him, spinning out of his hold when his hands loosened around her hips from her reaction.

"Catch me if you can!" Called out Kaoru, giggling as she ran forward.

She honestly didn't know what came over her, but for some reason she felt as if she were a child again, a carefree little girl playing tag with her best friend. Okay, maybe Battousai wasn't exactly her best friend, but he was the only one she could play with. She didn't know why felt like playing either, especially when she knew he could catch her in a heart beat.

Racing out of the protective barrier, Kaoru twirled once more, closing her eyes and raising her face to the Heavens as the rain droplets poured onto her face.

Ignoring the way her clothes now stuck to her like a second skin, Kaoru raced down the paved road before them, jumping in puddles and giggling insanely as she followed the route to Battousai's Black Castle. She couldn't explain how she knew exactly which way to go to get to Battousai's home, but right now, she didn't care. All she knew was that she had to make sure she wasn't caught. She didn't want to become "it."

Entering the forest surrounding the Black Castle, Kaoru stopped and turned around when she felt Battousai's Ki vanish. She could have sworn that she felt him just a couple of steps away from her before.

Squinting her eyes through the rain, the newly transformed vampire frowned when she couldn't see anything other than the water droplets that were falling on the empty road she had just gotten off of. She vaguely noticed that she was no longer being rained upon as she tried to find out where her captor was.

Snapping her head to the left when she heard something crack within the forested area, Kaoru bit her lower lip when she couldn't sense anything.

Turning around to face the forest again, Kaoru's blue eyes looked down the worn road that led straight through the forest and to Battousai's haven, her brows furrowing together when she saw nothing but darkness up ahead.

Kaoru couldn't help but become frightened when her mind finally caught up to her beating heart. Now she knew why she couldn't sense anything, why she felt so scared: she was in the infamous Black Forest.

In her haste to not get caught, Kaoru had completely forgotten about the dark lands and powers that surrounded the Black Castle for both protection and intimidation. How could she have failed to remember all of the tales about Battousai's home territory?

Wrapping her arms around herself, Kaoru took an unconscious step backwards. She knew that she could very well protect herself if it came down to it, but she couldn't stop her mind from remembering the tales of creatures being eaten alive and tortured to death by the Shadow Beasts, Battousai's infamous pets.

Closing her eyes tightly, Kaoru willed her emotions to calm down, forced herself to remember that if the Shadow Beasts were indeed in Battousai's control, then they wouldn't attack her. Surely they wouldn't go after someone who was so similar to their master?

Upon opening her eyes again, the last of the Kamiyas sucked in a gulp of air and held it when she saw nothing but darkness. A wave of nausea and fear swept through her, her body trembling as she felt the temperature around her drop dramatically. Her world began to spin dangerously as she heard multiple growls, her knees buckling when animalistic roars came closer.

'_Get a hold of yourself, Kaoru! This can't be happening!' _Kaoru screamed to herself as she clutched her bowed head, her eyes screwed shut. As much as she wished to take comfort from her own words, Kaoru still couldn't bring herself to move as the growls became louder, more threatening.

"If I shut them out, then they'll all go away," whispered Kaoru as she rocked herself back and forth. "This isn't real. This isn't happening! I'm going to wake up, I'm going to wake up and Shinta will be my side just like he promised!" With more confidence Kaoru continued her attempt to feel better, to squash the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. "You're all illusions! Shinta is going to be with me when I wake up, he's going to take me home, he's going to meet my parents, and he's going to ask me to marry him. We're all going to be happy, we're all going to be a happy family!"

Kaoru slowly opened her eyes when the sound of growling stopped, her body tensing back into a protective ball when she realized that the darkness had yet to disperse.

"**_Stop lying to yourself, sorceress," _**spoke a monotonic voice, the creature's distinctively male voice echoing to the vampiress from every direction.

Kaoru furrowed her brows at the unfamiliar voice. She had never heard it before and she was certain that it didn't belong to Battousai. Battousai's voice revealed at least some emotion, even if they were dark ones, but this one was . . . empty . . . devoid of any emotions whatsoever.

"**_He's dead,"_** stated the devoid being.

"What?" questioned Kaoru, her confusion and curiosity getting the better of her. "Who are you? And what do you mean by 'he's dead'?"

"**_Your Shinta is dead, sorceress,"_** interpreted the emotionless voice.

Kaoru felt her heart stop beating, felt the blood drain from her face at the stranger's words.

"Shinta can't be dead! He can't!" denied Kaoru as she shook her head. She glared at the darkness around her and stood up in outrage, her fists clenching at her sides. "You're lying! Shinta is alive!"

"**_Your Shinta died more than a thousand years ago, sorceress,"_** stated the nameless creature.

"What–-A thousand years ago?" questioned Kaoru, her voice feather-soft in disbelief. She shook her head of the lies the man was telling her and glowered. "What are you talking about? I met Shinta just a little over a year ago! How can he have saved me if what you say is true? How can a dead man save me?"

"**_His complete name is Shinta Kenshin Himura,"_** answered the man instead.

Kaoru fell silent at the sudden piece of information. "What does this have to do with what I asked you? How do you know all of this?"

"**_A thousand years ago your Shinta drowned, a thousand years ago I was still alive, a thousand years ago she was supposed to be mine."_** The voice began to fade away with each word it spoke, leaving Kaoru dazed and confused when silence enveloped her once again, leaving her alone in the dark with nothing but her thoughts.

Sitting back down, Kaoru wrapped her arms around her legs as she supported her chin on her knees, her eyes glazed over in deep thought.

'_What does this all mean?' _asked Kaoru with closed eyes. _'Why is everything happening to me? Isn't it enough that I lost my family? Must I also suffer being Battousai's captive for the rest of eternity, his tool, his possession?' _Kaoru shook her head at her last thought. She knew that she could handle it, knew that she would be discarded the moment Battousai obtained the last three Dark Diamond Weapons of Hell. _'Is knowing my own death is just around the corner not enough torture that I must also be told that my savior doesn't exist? Could I not have at least been spared a single shard of hope that I may be able to see the one I love one last time before I die? Could Fate have **not** been kind and allowed me to remain blind in my love? Why was I told the truth? Why did Fate allow me to learn that all of this time I have been loving and longing for a ghost, a shadow of sweetness?'_

Tears fell from her cheeks as each question was asked, tears that she had been desperately trying to hold in overflowed, threatening to drown her and end the pain

_**Crying won't get you anywhere.**_

Kaoru sniffled as the sound of an all too familiar voice filled her head, enveloping her in its warmth.

_**Must you always dream about me?**_

Stifling a giggle, Kaoru wiped the tears from her eyes.

_**...my precious vampire sorceress . . . **_

Kaoru smiled. "Shinta might not be real . . . "

_**As long as I have you . . . **_

"...but you are."

**xXoXx**

**_Note:_** All previous chapters have been revised! I hope they're easier to read now.


	18. Never Ending Questions

Chapter EIGHTEEN: **_Never Ending Questions_**

Kaoru stared at the darkness around her, a sad smile on her lips as imaginary voices of the past filled her head. Everything that had happened to her up until now seemed like a dream, a never ending, realistic, painful dream. The events of the last few days were unbelievable and could have only occurred in the world of fantasy. She realized that now as she curled up into a little ball in this void of blackness with nothing else to do but remember and float around in the dark. The voice she thought she knew had long since faded, leaving her alone in this cold, empty place.

There was nothing around her, no solid ground like before, simply just nothing. She was floating now, slowly twirling and spinning into nothingness, her curled up body feeling nothing. All around her was nothing but emptiness, no sound, no light, no smells, nothing but the voices in her mind, the voices that she thought she knew.

Whether it was out of sheer madness, or the want to hear again, Kaoru threw back her head and laughed. Her laughter did not echo, instead it just went on, never ending because there was nothing around her to absorb the sound. It was a haunting sound, a sound that should never accompany laughter.

She continued to laugh until she finally came to terms with her own stupidity, her foolishness for believing, even for a second, that such things could have ever happened to her, that the last few days of her life were a part of some dream--hallucinations.

Kaoru smiled bitterly as she thought about it. Her family being killed by mere bounty hunters? Kaoru snorted. That could never happen, not to the Kamiyas. How can a pack of amateur vampires ever wish to compete with the magic of the Kamiya bloodline? It was preposterous! It was ludicrous! She must have been delirious to believe that her parents could be so easily defeated by those pathetic creatures. No, her parents were too powerful, too strong, too filled with magic to be killed.

Shaking her head, Kaoru rapped her knuckled against her forehead as punishment for her idiocy. What in the world had she been thinking? This whole time she had been living a dream and she hadn't even realized the flaws of it until now. She was so dumb! How could she have not noticed it until now? How could she have ever even thought it possible that Battousai, the most powerful creature to walk the Earth, was interested in_ her_? It was insane thinking. Why would the immortal bother with _her_, a sorceress, an enemy to his race? What had she eaten that caused her to come up with ideas such as Battousai claiming her and turning her into a vampire? Had her own cooking finally gotten the better of her?

"I'm such a fool," whispered Kaoru as she bowed her head and sighed. "What was I thinking?"

Berating herself once more for not noticing the errors sooner, Kaoru rested her chin on knees and mentally went over her dream again, this time from the beginning to make sure that she caught all of the mistakes. It wasn't as if she was going anywhere soon, and the darkness around her seemed to enjoy her company too much to let her go, so what was the harm of recalling her fabricated memories?

"Where did it begin again?" questioned Kaoru to herself, trying her best to remember where reality ended and her dream began.

Kaoru smiled, "Ah, yes, it began with the cabin being surrounded by the bounty hunters."

She shook her head, she should have known something was wrong right then. Her home in the Forbidden Woods is protected by a holy barrier, not even Battousai would have been able to get through them, let alone those weak vampires. And even if the vampires had somehow broken through the barrier, her parents' magic would have destroyed them.

"Why didn't I wake up then?" frowned Kaoru. "Am I even awake _now_?"

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Kaoru shook her head and concentrated on her new task of remembering.

Her eyes darkened as she remembered how her father had stayed behind to stall the vampires while she and her mother ran away. It was another flaw that she should have seen: Kamiyas never ran away from a challenge, no matter how pointless it was to try to fight and that the outcome was obvious.

_**Run, Kaoru, run! Don't ever turn around! Run!**_

"Mother and I would have stayed no matter what Father said," concluded Kaoru with a nod of her head. "We would have stood our ground and combined our magic to defeat the enemies, not run away like weaklings! Yes, that was definitely a dream. Mother would never leave Father, and I would never leave them. Why, oh why, didn't I wake up then?"

Knowing better than to sulk over a dream, Kaoru dived back into her memories for the rest of her illusions.

The teenager sighed as the sound of thunder rippled through her mind, reminding her of the rain that she and her mother had run through to try and get the vampires off of their scent. It had been simple, considering that the rain had ruined most of the vampires' senses. They had almost fallen multiple times on the slippery ground as they moved through the familiar land, and they were both out of breath by the time they heard the sound of laughter and screams.

Kaoru frowned as she remembered how her mother had collapsed to her knees after hearing Kamiya Koshijirou pass on. She had cried then, her tears and the light drizzle making it difficult for her to see her mother's hunched over figure. It was their mourning delay that allowed the vampires to catch up and slaughter her mother.

_**You must live on my daughter! You must live as the last of our kind so that one day you may destroy the weapons that destroyed us.**_

She closed her eyes as the words vibrated through her body, but it didn't matter, the darkness behind her lids was the same as the darkness beyond them.

"If this was all a dream, then why did it feel so real?" whispered Kaoru, her mind once again pounding from all of her thoughts. This was becoming so confusing. She was certain that those words were all made up, but for some reason they sounded too real, too right to be a part of her imagination.

"**Are you still here?"** asked a strangely familiar voice, snapping Kaoru out of her thoughts.

Kaoru immediately straightened from her fetal position and narrowed her eyes to try and see who it was that was speaking to her. She sighed, her attempt was once again useless, all that she could see was black. She felt her blood freeze at the thought of this person being able to see her while she was literally left in the dark. Even if the voice didn't sound hostile, even if it did ring a bell in her mind, she still couldn't bring herself to just float around while someone else was out there.

Biting her lower lip, Kaoru tried desperately to come into contact with something solid. She needed to know where the person was, needed to make sure that she wasn't hearing things.

Her search became more frantic as her mind reminded her of how defenseless she was. If she didn't at least know the general area that the other person was from her, then she was defenseless if he decided to attack. Her magic mainly depended on a source of light, whether it was sunlight, moonlight, lightning, or fire. With nothing but darkness surrounding her, she wasn't going to be able to summon enough magic to defend properly herself if the person decided to hurt her.

"**I'm not going to hurt you, sorceress, so you needn't worry," **spoke the same voice, amusement lacing his words.

"Who are you?" asked Kaoru. She was fairly certain that this person was not the same man as before. This one seemed more . . . alive.

"**You truly do not know where you are, do you?"**

Kaoru frowned. "Then do you mind telling me, since you seem as if you know what you're talking about?"

A deep, masculine chuckle flowed through her from every direction.

"What's so funny?" demanded Kaoru with clenched fists, her anger getting the better of her. She did not enjoy being toyed with.

"**You! You're completely lost yet you still manage to make the best of things and act as if nothing ever happened. However, I wouldn't say your earlier thoughts were healthy. It's not good to confuse yourself, Kaoru."**

"And who are _you_ lecture _me_?" growled Kaoru, becoming more annoyed by the second at how the man was dodging her questions, just like the other guy. "And how the hell do you know my name?"

"**You really shouldn't speak that way to someone who can help you get out of here,"** admonished the voice teasingly.

Kaoru threw up her hands in frustration and crossed them over her chest, glaring at the darkness around her.

"Can you_ please_ answer my previous questions, whoever you are?" asked Kaoru through gritted teeth.

"**Now that's more like it."** Kaoru could just see the person grinning.

"Arg! You're just as insufferable as Battousai," exclaimed Kaoru.

"**Odd that you should say that,"** commented the voice thoughtfully.

Kaoru raised a questioning brow. "What do you mean?"

"**I'm the original incarnation of Battousai's soul."**

If she could see the being, Kaoru would have stared.

"What!" asked Kaoru, her eyes wide despite the fact that she couldn't see a thing. "Do you mean–- Am I in Hell? Am I dead? And what do you mean by _original_?"

The other person, if you can call the incarnation of a vampire's soul a person, chuckled.

"**I can see why I fell in love with you, Kaoru, why**_he_** fell in love with you. Even in this life time your spirit is still burning strongly."**

Kaoru furrowed her brows at the tenderness and warmth behind his words. Was he _really_ Battousai's previous soul? It seemed like they were two completely different people, well, besides their twisted sense of humor that is.

"I don't understand what's going on," said Kaoru truthfully, her tense body drooping in defeat. "I'm so confused right now." She clutched her aching head. "Can you at least help me get some answers?" She begged, hoping that this man, this soul could help take away the pain and fulfill her curiosity. "Please, can you tell me how I got here? Why I came here?"

"**You'll understand eventually the purpose of you're being here in the first place, koibito,"** reassured the soul, his voice easing away her fears. **"For now, you need to wake up, someone's waiting for you on the other side."**

"So this _is_ Hell?" asked Kaoru with a tilt of her head, momentarily forgetting about her headache.

He chuckled.

"Can you for once just give me a straight answer?" asked Kaoru in exasperation.

"**You need to wake up, Kaoru." **The sorceress blinked at the sudden hardness in the spirit's voice.

"Wake up? How am I supposed to do _that_?" Did he really expect her to be able to get out of here alone? She didn't even know where she was! And hadn't he hinted that he would _help_ her get out of here?

"_**Wake up!"**_

Kaoru frowned, his voice had completely changed, in fact, it sounded a lot like–-

"_**Snap out of it, sorceress!"**_

--Battousai. It was definitely Battousai's arrogant voice, she knew that voice anywhere, even if he might be just a part of her mind.

'_Wait, Battousai? Is he here too?'_

Kaoru spun around, waving her hands all around in a search for something solid. She smiled when she felt something warm and hard under her fingertips.

"_**Damn it, woman, open your eyes!"**_

Kaoru's eyes widened as a blinding white light poured onto her face, her body humming with renewed power and magic as the darkness around her vanished.

**xXoXx**

Battousai stopped shaking the sorceress in his lap when her eyes began to flutter open, relief flooding through him as Kaoru slowly came to. He would never admit it, but he had been slightly worried when he found his sorceress unconscious at the edge of the Black Forest, her body cold and lifeless. If he had been anyone else, he would have thought her dead, but their blood link told him differently.

"You pathetic fool, what in the world were you thinking running into the Black Forest on your own?" snapped Battousai as he glared down at the sorceress, cursing her stupidity.

"B-Battousai?" whispered Kaoru, her eyes slowly focusing on the face before her.

The immortal growled. Whom the hell else could have entered the Black Forest unharmed by the Shadow Beasts and unaffected by the enchantments?

"You're lucky that I-–" Battousai froze, completely taken aback and unable to continue.

Kaoru, the moment she realized who he was, had thrown her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his, effectively cutting off his wry remark.

"You're real! You're not a dream! You're real!" exclaimed Kaoru in between kisses, her hands cupping his face as she placed her lips on his forehead, cheeks, nose, eyes, and chin.

"What the hell are you doing?" snarled Battousai once he got over the initial shock of Kaoru kissing him, pushing her away and back onto the cobblestones of the road.

Dusting himself off, Battousai stood and loomed over the fallen sorceress, glowering when he saw her grinning up at him like the moron that she was.

"That hurt," smiled Kaoru as she too got back onto her feet, "which means that this _is_ real! It wasn't a dream! Everything that happened, happened!"

Battousai raised a brow at Kaoru's words, stiffening when the sorceress threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"I'm so glad that you're here," mumbled Kaoru as she nuzzled her face into his chest. "I don't even know why I questioned your existence in my life. How could I have doubted you when you're the one who turned me into what I am? You've saved me countless times, you've kept me sane, and you've taken the pain away. I was such a fool to think that you weren't real." She sniffled and moved her face into the crook of his neck, her arms tightening around him. "It was that place! It made me question everything: my life, my happiness, my love. I should have known better than to think like that, I should have known better than to think that you weren't a part of my life. I'm sorry, Master Battousai, I'm so sorry that I disobeyed you! I should have never run ahead. If I had just stayed with you, then none of this would have ever happened! I'm so sorry."

Battousai wrapped his arms around his sorceress, stroking her hair as she poured her heart and worries out to him, his jaw clenching as her thoughts and memories of that _place_ poured into his mind.

The Black Forest's power was known for making people go insane, known to absorb and grow off of strong emotions, such as fear and hate, but it was not known for transporting others' souls to the Spiritual Plane, if Kaoru's memories were any indication. The vampire found it odd that Kaoru had ended up in a place where his previous soul was trapped in, found it unusual that the name Shinta had once again been brought up. It was so familiar, yet so strange. For some reason the named tugged at something within him.

Staring down at the sorceress, Battousai furrowed his brows. Had he truly fallen in love with the woman in his arms in his past life? Was that why he had been drawn to her from the beginning? He must have felt quite strongly about her if his emotions traveled from his last life into this one.

Shaking his head of the thoughts, Battousai grabbed Kaoru's shoulders and pulled her back so that their eyes met. His own eyes narrowed when he noticed the tears pooling around her ocean depths.

"Kaoru," said Battousai, his voice serious, "who is Shinta?"

The immortal watched in mild amusement as Kaoru's eyes hardened instead of softening like before when she herself would say that name.

"He's dead," spat out Kaoru, turning her face away from him as her tears finally slipped onto her cheeks.

"I know that," said Battousai as he held her chin and forced her to look at him through her tears, "but what was he to you? How do you know of him?"

Kaoru closed her eyes and willed her tears away, no longer wanting to cry in front of her master. She knew that crying wouldn't get her anywhere, and she needed to get back her voice to answer him, but it was so hard. The pain of knowing that the one she had so foolishly loved and longed for the past year didn't exist was heartbreaking.

"H-he saved my life," answered Kaoru, mentally slapping herself when she heard her own voice crack. Taking a deep breath, Kaoru continued, "But he's dead, he's been dead for the last one thousand years, so he couldn't have saved me!" Kaoru closed her eyes and shook her head, her hands covering her tear-stained face so Battousai couldn't see. "I don't understand. He saved me from drowning in the Silver River only a year ago, yet that man said that he died, said that he had drowned a thousand years ago. How can that be?"

Battousai narrowed his eyes as the barriers around Kaoru's memory of the other vampire crumbled and gave way, allowing him to see and hear his exact double and the emotions the sorceress felt for him. He didn't know why, but it bothered him that Kaoru had loved this Shinta character, despite the fact that the man looked like him and clearly didn't exist.

Wrapping his fingers around her wrists, Battousai pulled Kaoru's hands away from her face, his amber eyes boring into her sapphire ones.

"I want you to forget him, Kaoru," ordered Battousai as he wiped away her tears, not quite certain why he was saying this, just knowing that he had to, "he's not real, so you needn't remember him. Tell me that you'll forget him, Kaoru."

Kaoru looked up and searched the vampire's eyes, her confusion evident.

"Why–-" Kaoru was cut off by a firm finger being pressed against her lips.

"You will forget about him," stated Battousai, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Not knowing how else to respond, Kaoru nodded in agreement.

Battousai smirked. "Let's get going then."

This time, when Battousai led the way to his Black Castle, Kaoru made sure to stay close to him.

**xXoXx**

"His Highness is coming, His Highness is coming and he has company!" The words echoed and bounced off of the stone walls of the Black Castle, startling the occupants into alert as the lookout ran around announcing that their master had returned.

One of the servant girls beamed at the news and raced off into the back of the Black Castle, dodging the cleaning maids and butlers as she made her way to the Training Hall. Her black, maid outfit, white apron, and white ribbons were flowing behind her as she ran at top speed to where she knew her friends were.

Skidding to a stop before a set of stone doors, the girl panted slightly as she slammed the doors open with ease. Her previous smile widened as the sound of metal against metal reached her ears. She quietly closed the doors behind her when she realized that the occupants in the room hadn't taken notice of her loud entrance.

Patiently, she stood before the grey doors and watched as her two of her best friends sparred, taking up the entire dojo in their match.

"What are you doing here, Marimo?" asked someone from her left, startling the flushed servant.

"Eiji!" greeted the servant girl with a smile when she realized whom the other teenager was.

"If you don't have anything to say, Marimo, then leave, this is a place for men," snapped one of the boys that was sparring, his black hair swaying in time with each of his liquid movements.

Marimo glared and placed her hands on her hips defiantly.

"I can beat you any day, Little Yahiko!" gloated Marimo as she stuck out her tongue at him.

Eiji and the brown-haired boy sparring with a fuming Yahiko laughed.

"I am not little!" defended Yahiko, jumping back from his opponent so he could effectively glare at the girl. "If you've forgotten, I'm 25 years older than you!"

Marimo stuck out her chin. "So? We still look the same age!"

"She does have a point, Yahiko," said the other vampire as his sword clashed with his friend's.

"Are you defending her too, Yutaro?" asked Yahiko in exasperation, annoyed that his own friends were ganging up on him.

Yutaro only smiled and pushed him away once more.

Eiji shook his head and faced Marimo again. "What is it that you came here for, Marimo?"

"Oh yeah!" said Marimo, finally remembering the reason behind her visit. "Lord Battousai has returned! His Highness has company and they're going to be here in a few minutes."

"What?" asked all three male vampires as they stared at her, frozen in place at the news.

Marimo grinned and nodded.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" growled Yahiko as he quickly sheathed his sword, which had been forged to fit his small structure, and ran to get his normal clothes that had been thrown carelessly into the corner of the dojo.

Yutaro did the same while Eiji ushered Marimo outside while the other two boys changed.

"Did you tell the rooster head yet?" asked Eiji once they were safely behind the stone doors. He had long since changed from his training clothes after his spar with the other two 13-year-old lookalikes. Once again he was dressed in the standard black suit that all male servants wore in the Black Castle.

Marimo gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as it dawned on her. "I completely forgot about Sano!"

"We'd better go to tell the idiot before he does something stupid and insults Lord Battousai's guest," said Yahiko as he emerged from the dojo in a suit similar to Eiji's, Yutaro right behind him in the same attire.

The four blinked at one another when a scream reached their sensitive ears, turning their heads in the direction of the front of the castle at the same time.

Looking back at each other, the group nodded and said in unison, "The rooster head."

**xXoXx**

The shape-shifter stared openly at the demons around her, making sure to keep close to Toki as she led them both to another room.

After getting dressed and properly fed, Misao had found out that she had indeed been captured and poisoned by a demon named Sadashiro Kajiki. However, no matter many times she asked, Toki had refused to tell her exactly where she was. The only thing she knew was that she was a guest, or in her eyes a prisoner, at some inn located in the outskirts of Kyoto, bordering on Osaka.

"Where are you taking me, Miss Toki?" whispered Misao, wincing at the dirty looks the other passing demons were giving her. Obviously they had issues with anyone who wasn't one of them, if their glares and silent death threats were any indication.

"To a place where you'll be safe from harm," reassured Toki as she led them down another hall, a hall with fewer demons.

Misao shivered as a sudden coldness swept through her when they got closer to the end of the hall.

'_At least now I know why no one comes down here,' _thought Misao as she rubbed her arms from the cold.

"Aren't you cold, Miss Toki?" asked Misao curiously as she looked at the unfazed woman.

Toki shook her head. "Demons can withstand the effects of even the coldest or hottest of temperatures."

The shape-shifter sighed and cursed herself for forgetting such an important detail. But if the demons weren't affected by the cold, why then did they steer clear of this area?

Misao immediately regretted her curiosity when she found herself in front of a white shoji, the power around the room pulsating enough energy to send any normal demon, vampire, or werewolf running, let alone a simple shape-shifter like her. She would have turned around and fled if it wasn't for the fact she'd be running right back into enemy hands. She shuddered at the thought of what else the demons would do if they found out she was trying to run off.

"You'll be staying here, Miss Misao," said Toki as she opened the shoji.

"You mean-– You want me to stay in _there_?" asked Misao incredulously as she pointed inside the room.

Toki nodded and further slid the shoji open until the entire room was visible to the shape-shifter.

Misao's eyes widened when she recognized the woman kneeling on the left side of the large room, her hands clenching into fists when she remembered the reason why she was in this predicament in the first place, why she had to suffer the night before by poisoning.

"Miss Misao?" questioned Toki when she noticed the tension in the atmosphere.

Snapping out of her thoughts of revenge, Misao smiled at Toki and gave a polite bow to the demoness for all that she had done for her.

"I'll come back with your breakfasts tomorrow morning," smiled Toki with her own bow of farewell.

The moment Misao stepped inside, Toki closed the shoji with a soft click and left, leaving the hybrid and shape-shifter alone.

Misao walked over to the right side of the room and kneeled down on the only cushion on her side of the room, facing the seemingly meditating half breed. She couldn't help but glare at the woman who had taken away the only man she ever loved.

"Your name is Misao, is it not, shape-shifter?" asked Tomoe as she opened her eyes to face the other woman in the room.

"Why would you care?" snapped Misao, her hands fisting in her lap when she realized that the hybrid had dared to read her mind. Reading another's mind was considered rude, especially when there was no warning or need to.

Tomoe didn't seem at all fazed and simply said, "The Oniwanbanshuu members speak very highly of you, Miss Misao. I do believe they were quite certain you would have ended up with their leader, at least until I entered the scene, that is."

'_Damn straight,'_ thought Misao bitterly, her emerald eyes hardening.

"I know that you do not like me for taking away your Okashira, but it cannot have been helped," whispered Tomoe, her brown eyes staring into Misao's blue-green ones.

At the seriousness in the half breed's voice, Misao felt herself grow uncomfortable and willing to hear what she had to say.

"What do you mean?" asked Misao, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Tomoe bowed her head, her pale hands turning even more deathly white as she clasped them together in her lap.

Swallowing, Tomoe explained softly, "Aoshi is dying."


End file.
